Lisa Marie Presley Denounced ‘Priscilla’ Film as ‘Shockingly Vengeful’ Before Her Death
Elvis Presley‘s only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, knew about Sofia Coppola’s film adaptation of her mother’s autobiography into Priscilla. But that doesn’t mean that she was on board with the story. Lisa Marie reportedly denounced the film, calling it “shockingly vengeful” in the months before her January 2023 death.
Lisa Marie Presley was not a fan of how her father, Elvis Presley, is depicted in ‘Priscilla’
The announcement that Priscilla would be adapted from Priscilla Presley’s book Elvis and Me was made in September 2022. Therefore, Lisa Marie Presley knew that director Sofia Coppola would adapt the text into a feature film.
Per Variety, Lisa Marie emailed Coppola to reconsider her vision for how her father, Elvis Presley, would be depicted in the movie. She reportedly wanted to spare her family public embarrassment.
“My father only comes across as a predator and manipulative. As his daughter, I don’t read this and see any of my father in this character,” Lisa Marie subsequently wrote.
“I don’t read this and see my mother’s perspective of my father. But I read this and see your shockingly vengeful and contemptuous perspective, and I don’t understand why?”
However, Lisa Marie added she would publicly speak out against the film upon its release. “I will be forced to be in a position where I will have to openly say how I feel about the film and go against you, my mother, and this film publicly,” Lisa Marie claimed.
Both messages were sent in September 2022. Variety reported they were four hours apart.
How did Sofia Coppola respond to Lisa Marie Presley’s messages?
Variety asked Sofia Coppola for her response to Lisa Marie Presley’s email messages. She commented via her representative.
“I hope that when you see the final film, you will feel differently and understand I’m taking great care in honoring your mother. While also presenting your father with sensitivity and complexity,” Coppola wrote.
Lisa Marie reportedly saw an early script draft, leading to her remarks regarding how Elvis Presley was portrayed.
“I am worried that my mother isn’t seeing the nuance here or realizing how Elvis will be perceived when this movie comes out,” Lisa Marie wrote. “I feel protective over my mother, who has spent her whole life elevating my father’s legacy.”
Lisa Marie shared her concern about how viewers would perceive her mother and father on the big screen in this particular retelling of their story. “I am worried she doesn’t understand the intentions behind this film or the outcome it will have.”
Sofia Coppola says she was ‘moved’ by Priscilla Presley’s story
Shortly after announcing Priscilla‘s release, Sofia Coppola spoke to Vogue Magazine, discussing her interest in bringing Priscilla Presley’s story to the big screen. She says a discussion with a friend propelled her to tackle the project.
“I’ve had her memoir for years and remember reading it a long time ago. A friend of mine was talking about her recently, and we got around to discussing the book. I read it again and was really moved by her story,” she explained.
Coppola was initially set to start a project about American designer Edith Wharton, which would have taken five months to shoot. She decided to pivot to adapting Priscilla’s story for the big screen, which centralized her focus on one idea.
“I was just so interested in Priscilla’s story and her perspective on what it all felt like to grow up as a teenager in Graceland,” she explained. “She was going through all the stages of young womanhood in such an amplified world—kinda similar to Marie Antoinette.”
Coppola concluded, “Priscilla is the real focus of it. There are some aspects of Elvis’s career included, but it all plays out in the background of their relationship and her developing her identity.”
Priscilla is currently in theaters.
