Sofia Coppola says she didn’t want to "vilify" Elvis Presley in her new movie Priscilla

Priscilla film
(Image credit: MUBI)

While Elvis was all about the King of Rock and Roll, Sofia Coppola’s latest shifts its focus to Priscilla Presley, a schoolgirl who gets wrapped up in Elvis Presley’s orbit at the age of just 14.

In the new issue of Total Film magazine, which features The Bikeriders on the cover, Coppola opens up about crafting this new story, and why it was so important not to vilify Elvis. The key to this, the Lost in Translation director tells us, was working closely with the real Priscilla, now 78, to tell her story.

"I spoke to her a lot as I was preparing it," she explains in the new issue, which hits newsstands on November 9. "She made herself available. It was important for me that she felt good about it, and that it represented what she was trying to express. So that was a challenge: how do I make what I want to make, but also make sure that it respects her, and is telling her story?"

Coppola adds that this also meant including the drugs, cheating, and violence that Presley’s widow writes about in her 1985 memoir 'Elvis and Me'. "I never wanted to vilify [Elvis]," the writer-director continues. "There were fun moments, and they loved each other, and then there’s dark moments, and how to balance that, so that it wasn’t too much one way. I tried not to think about all the other opinions. I really just focused on her story."

Starring Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis, the film charts the length of their marriage. Focusing primarily on Priscilla’s perspective, viewers watch as a teenage infatuation blossoms into an all-consuming relationship plagued by loneliness, passion, and ultimately heartbreak.

Total Film exclusive image of Priscilla

(Image credit: A24/Total Film)

You can see an exclusive new image from the film above, taken from the upcoming issue of Total Film magazine. Priscilla is released in cinemas from January 5, 2024, with limited previews beginning on December 26, 2023.

For much more on Priscilla, as well as stories on The Bikeriders, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Rebel Moon, and much more, pick up a copy of the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves on November 9. Check out the covers below:

The Bikeriders Total Film cover

(Image credit: Future/20th Century Studios)

Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. With our latest offer, you can get a JOBY Magnetic Wireless Charger worth £29.95 when you take out a print subscription.

Total film subs

(Image credit: Future)
Contributing Editor, Total Film

Jane Crowther is a contributing editor to Total Film magazine, having formerly been the longtime Editor, as well as serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Film Group here at Future Plc, which covers Total Film, SFX, and numerous TV and women's interest brands. Jane is also the vice-chair of The Critics' Circle and a BAFTA member. You'll find Jane on GamesRadar+ exploring the biggest movies in the world and living up to her reputation as one of the most authoritative voices on film in the industry. 

With contributions from
Read more
Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in Maria
Angelina Jolie's new movie about a world-famous opera singer is a poignant story of life in the public eye
The Last Showgirl
Beneath the glitz and glam of The Last Showgirl is a heartbreaking story about what mothers give up
Lily-Rose Depp in Nosferatu
Nosferatu should "feel like a love triangle" according to star Lily-Rose Depp, albeit a twisted one
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin on their bittersweet new movie A Real Pain and resisting advice from "a big Hollywood director" to "make a billion dollars" with a happy ending
Adrien Brody in The Brutalist
Adrien Brody and the cast and director of The Brutalist on their Oscar-nominated movie: "To make great cinema, you have to be vulnerable"
Bill Skarsgard as Count Orlok in Nosferatu
Nosferatu director explains why he wanted to keep Bill Skarsgård's Orlok look secret – and hopes audiences respect it
Latest in Drama Movies
Claire Danes as Juliet and Miriam Margolyes as Nurse in the movie Romeo + Juliet.
The 33 greatest movies based on Shakespeare
Bloodsport
The 32 greatest '80s action movies
Cosmo Jarvis
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey adds Shogun star to its massively star-studded cast, and I'm getting Oppenheimer vibes all over again
Adrien Brody in The Brutalist
This year's Best Actor Oscars speech broke a record that was over 80 years old
Adrien Brody as László Tóth in The Brutalist
Oscars 2025 live coverage: All the winners, red carpet, and the 97th Academy Awards' biggest moments – as it happens
The Last Showgirl
Beneath the glitz and glam of The Last Showgirl is a heartbreaking story about what mothers give up
Latest in News
Original Xbox console
Former Microsoft exec says the first Xbox was killed early in favor of 360 because it was "losing money left right and center," but luckily "we could afford to hemorrhage cash"
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann says Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will also be about "being lonely," as if his zombie apocalypse wasn’t isolating enough: "I really want you to be lost"
A screenshot of Jordan drinking a soda during the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Hertic Prophet.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "a game about faith and religion," which Neil Druckmann jokes will surely get less hate than The Last of Us 2
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us
The Last of Us is "better" than 28 Days Later, says movie writer Alex Garland: "This is so much more sophisticated and moving"
Atelier Ryza 3 protagonist closeup
JRPG producer says people prefer their anime girls to have thick thighs when the economy's in the tank, and he's not even joking a little bit