Lisa Marie Presley Slammed Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ Script as ‘Vengeful and Contemptuous’ for Elvis Depiction Earlier than She Died (EXCLUSIVE)
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Earlier than her dying earlier this 12 months, expressed shock and horror over the depiction of her father within the script for ’s new movie “Priscilla.” Described in two emails obtained completely by Selection, the late Presley requested Coppola to rethink her imaginative and prescient for the character and to spare her household public embarrassment. The messages have been despatched 4 months earlier than Presley suffered deadly cardiac arrest in January.
Presley’s messages known as the script “shockingly vengeful and contemptuous,” and contained pleas to Oscar-winning director Coppola to chorus from straining her fragile relationship along with her mom – the movie’s topic, – in addition to bringing scrutiny on Elvis’ residing grandchildren as they proceed to grieve the lack of Lisa Marie Presley’s son, Benjamin Keough, who died in 2020.
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“Priscilla” is a biopic of Priscilla Presley, based mostly on the topic’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me.” It has sparked dialog amongst critics and audiences for its portrait of Elvis and Priscilla’s courtship – one which started in Germany in 1959 when Priscilla was 14 and Elvis was 24.
“My father solely comes throughout as a predator and manipulative. As his daughter, I don’t learn this and see any of my father on this character. I don’t learn this and see my mom’s perspective of my father. I learn this and see your shockingly vengeful and contemptuous perspective and I don’t perceive why?” Presley wrote in considered one of her messages. Each have been despatched in September of final 12 months, roughly 4 hours aside.
Whereas Coppola had but to roll cameras on “Priscilla” when Presley reached out, the latter informed her bluntly that she would communicate out in opposition to the challenge and her mom, who’s credited as an govt producer and has participated in publicity for the A24 launch. Already an awards season contender, the film opened in restricted launch on Oct. 27 and expands extensive on Friday.
“I can be pressured to be ready the place I should brazenly say how I really feel in regards to the movie and go in opposition to you, my mom and this movie publicly,” Presley wrote.
When requested for touch upon the change, Coppola responded by means of her consultant with phrases she expressed to Presley in response to her September emails, saying it encapsulates what the director supposed to do along with her movie.
“I hope that while you see the ultimate movie you’ll really feel in a different way, and perceive I’m taking nice care in honoring your mom, whereas additionally presenting your father with sensitivity and complexity,” wrote Coppola.
Priscilla Presley was not instantly reachable for remark. A24, which is distributing “Priscilla” domestically and didn’t produce the challenge, declined to remark.
An insider near the movie mentioned the exchanges have been made on Sept. 2, 2022, whereas Coppola was on the bottom on the Telluride Movie Competition, solely weeks away from beginning manufacturing on “Priscilla.” The supply mentioned the movie is completely based mostly on “Elvis and Me,” and efforts have been made to “tone down” some parts of the ebook concerning the couple’s courtship that might have been surprising to up to date audiences. Coppola’s purpose was to inform a love story, the insider mentioned, with the first pressure of the movie being Priscilla’s struggles to adapt to life with a world famous person. Lisa Marie Presley is believed to have seen an early draft of the script, mentioned the supply, which ultimately was “trimmed” by about 10 pages when principal images began on Oct. 24, 2022.
“Priscilla” was an official collection of this 12 months’s Venice Movie Competition. It premiered to glowing notices and gained its star, Cailee Spaeny, a greatest actress prize. Each media shops and viewers have taken word of the age hole and energy dynamics between the on-screen Elvis (portrayed by “Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi) and Priscilla.
The challenge showcases “the attrition by which psychological abuse wears companions down,” wrote one critic. Followers on social media have accused Elvis of “grooming” his eventual bride. Most opinions discovered the movie in step with Coppola’s vaunted filmography, and largely a narrative a couple of younger girl’s life in “a gilded cage” (a phrase utilized in a number of opinions). Rolling Stone published an interview with Coppola on Oct. 24 with the headline, “Is Elvis Presley a Monster in ‘Priscilla’? Sofia Coppola Desires You to Decide for Your self.”
Lisa Marie Presley was uncertain that her mom Priscilla would perceive a contemporary translation of her expertise.
“I’m frightened that my mom isn’t seeing the nuance right here or realizing the best way by which Elvis can be perceived when this film comes out,” Lisa Marie Presley wrote in her emails. “I really feel protecting over my mom who has spent her entire life elevating my father’s legacy. I’m frightened she doesn’t perceive the intentions behind this movie or the end result it can have.”
Lisa Marie Presley additionally appeared to attraction to Coppola’s personal Hollywood legacy.
“I might consider all individuals that you’d perceive how this may really feel,” she wrote, alluding to Coppola’s well-known household, which incorporates her father, “The Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola. “Why are you coming for my Dad and my household?” The identical insider aware of Lisa Marie Presley mentioned her communications with Coppola have been shared with Priscilla Presley, in addition to Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, the actor Riley Keough.
Coppola has trodden calmly on the subject of questions in regards to the age distinction between Elvis and Priscilla.
“I attempt to not be judgmental of any of the characters and actually be as sympathetic as I can to every of them. And I’m actually targeted on her perspective, however even with the mother and father, you’re like, ‘How can anyone let their child go dwell with Elvis that younger?’” she informed Rolling Stone this month. Priscilla Presley, making the press rounds in Venice and in subsequent interviews, has clarified that she and Elvis weren’t sexually intimate when she was 14. The matriarch has additionally mentioned quite a few instances that she loves the movie.
The emails reveal the precise battle Hollywood should take care of when creating artwork across the legacies of icons like Elvis. Estates representing late stars typically wade into disputes round tailored content material (Elvis Presley Enterprises, which represents the belief and the “Viva Las Vegas” star’s bodily property Graceland, denied “Priscilla” from utilizing his music catalogue for the movie).
The emails additionally replicate what was personally at stake for Lisa Marie Presley.
“Sofia there may be another factor I’d like so as to add,” Presley concluded her second word to Coppola. She shared an anecdote about considered one of her younger twins, Harper Lockwood, who was despatched a commerce announcement about “Priscilla” going into manufacturing.
“I needed to clarify that we’re going to should endure one other hit in our lives. That there’s going to be a film about her grandfather that’s going to attempt to make him look actually, actually dangerous nevertheless it’s not true. I needed to clarify that her beloved grandmother is supporting it. These two little women have been by means of a lot up to now 7 years, enduring my divorce and horrific custody battle after which dropping their brother. We’ve all been drowning,” Lisa Marie Presley wrote.
She praised the 2022 movie “Elvis,” which was directed by Baz Luhrmann, as “a break from struggling and a ray of sunshine that hit us final 12 months … it made them so proud and honored to be his granddaughters. It made them really feel blessed for a second and fewer cursed in life. It made us all so proud as a result of it was a real depiction of who he actually was.”
Presley mentioned she didn’t perceive Coppola’s “want to aim to take my father down on the heels of such an unbelievable movie utilizing the excuse that you’re making an attempt to inform my mom’s story, however out of your very darkish and jaded actuality.”
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