It seems like it was not very long ago when we saw a dramatization of the life and career of one of the most famous icons in music history: Elvis Presley. That's because it was, indeed, just last year when Baz Luhrmann’s visually dazzling biopic, Elvis, was released and went on to receive eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Well, there is another film on the way that will tell much of the same story, but from another perspective, called Priscilla.
As anyone familiar with the history of the one referred to by many as the “King of Rock ’n Roll,” the title of this drama — which has the potential to be one of the best A24 movies with the talent involved — refers to Priscilla Presley, who was married to the musician from 1967 to 1973. Before you see her side of the story unfold, allow us to fill you in on the talent involved and the other most essential details we know about Priscilla. We shall start with when fans can expect to see it.
What Is The Priscilla Release Date?
According to the official A24 website, Priscilla is set to open on November 3, 2023 . Previously, the film was set for an October release but, beforehand, was sitting in that month’s section on our upcoming 2023 movies schedule without a specific day listed because its official released date had not yet been announced.
Thus, we know that this upcoming A24 film is heading to theaters more than a year after Elvis, which was a summer 2022 release. According to Variety, Priscilla received a seven-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in early September.
Cailee Spaeny And Jacob Elordi Lead The Cast
Leading the Priscilla cast in the title role — according to Variety — is Cailee Spaeny, who debuted in 2018's Pacific Rim: Uprising before leading another long-awaited sequel to a cult favorite in 2020’s The Craft: Legacy cast and acting in miniseries like FX’s sci-fi thriller, Devs, and HBO’s Emmy-winning crime drama, Mare of Easttown. Starring as her Elvis is the Australian-born Jacob Elordi — a veteran of one of A24’s TV productions (playing Nate Jacobs on HBO’s Euphoria cast) whose most notable feature-length credits include Netflix’s Kissing Booth movies and the great horror anthology movie, The Mortuary Collection, from 2019.
Previously, in Luhrmann’s Elvis cast — which also included Tom Hanks as the musician’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker — Priscilla Presley was played by Olivia DeJonge (who, coincidentally, also hails from Australia). Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis in said 2022 hit earned him an Oscar nomination and won him a Golden Globe.
The Teaser Is A Brief Montage Of Iconic And Personal Moments
For anyone who feels that it may be too soon for another movie that involves Elvis Presley, we have it on good authority that this will not feel like a repeat. Let alone the fact this is not Elvis’ story as much as it is Priscilla’s, it is clear that this film will boast an entirely new look and tone from Luhrmann’s movie, just from watching the first teaser trailer for Priscilla, which you can see below:
The 45-second clip is sure to get fans of the couple excited with its picture perfect recreations of famous moments from their relationship — especially their nuptials — but also fascinate those who are curious to know more about Priscilla’s life before she became a Presley, with its glimpses of her home life. The one more bewildering aspect of the trailer, however, may be that there are no Elvis songs playing over the soundtrack, but — according to IGN — “How You Satisfy Me” by Australian psychedelic band, Spectrum.
It’s Based On Priscilla Presley’s Memoir
The source material for Priscilla is her own autobiography, Elvis and Me, which she co-wrote with Sandra Harmon and was published in 1985. The book is widely noted for its candid descriptions of the couple’s relationship — such as how it remained unconsummated until their wedding — and was previously adapted into a 1988 TV movie of the same name starring soap opera star Susan Walters and 1989’s Pet Semetary star, Dale Midkiff.
Presley — whose daughter with Elvis, Lisa Marie Presley, sadly passed away in January — is also involved with the film as an executive producer, according to a Vogue interview with Sofia Coppola. This is far from her first experience working on a film production, however, having had an acting career that notably included playing Leslie Nielsen’s love interest in the hilarious spoof movie, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad, and its two sequel. She is also the grandmother of acclaimed actor Riley Keough, who is known for blockbusters like Magic Mike and Mad Max: Fury Road, leading the Daisy Jones and the Six cast, and a few A24 productions, too — namely It Comes at Night and Zola.
Sofia Coppola Writes And Directs
As for Sofia Coppola’s aforementioned involvement with Priscilla, she handled the screenplay duties and is helming the picture. However, one group of people who are, unfortunately, not happy with the filmmaker’s approach to writing and directing the film is Elvis Presley’s own estate which, according TMZ, specifically called out the Graceland set designs as “horrible” and inaccurate and likened the film to “a college movie.” Of course, the more important opinion here is that of Priscilla Presley, whose EP status alone pretty much ensures her approval.
Coppola made her directorial debut in 1999 with The Virgin Suicides and went on to win an Academy Award for writing her second feature, Lost in Translation. Some of her best movies also include A24 productions — namely 2013’s fact-based heist dramedy, The Bling Ring, and the Bill Murray and Rashida Jones-led Apple TV+ exclusive film, On the Rocks.
French Rock Band Phoenix Composes The Score
As we already established, the first trailer for the film isn't accompanied by any of Elvis' music. Well, it appears that the movie will not include any of his greatest hits either as — according to Pitchfork — the film’s score was composed by the band, Phoenix.
The Grammy Award-winning, French pop rock group is led by lead singer Thomas Mars, who has been married to Coppola since 2011. So, it appears that Priscilla turned out to be a family affair for the filmmaker as well, and not even the first one, as the Phoenix song “Bankrupt” also appears on the official soundtrack for The Bling Ring.
Some of the best music biopics, in my opinion, look at the life and career of a musician from a more unique, unspoken angle. Therefore, I am looking forward to seeing things from the perspective of Elvis’ former wife in Priscilla more than I was to seeing the “King’s” story in Elvis.
