How Sofia Coppola Wanted to Use Elvis’ ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ In ‘Priscilla’

Elvis Presley‘s “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” was originally in an emotional scene in Sofia Coppola’s film Priscilla. Coppola discussed her intended use of the track in the film. She also explained what she was trying to accomplish with the movie as a whole and how it compared to the recent Hollywood film Elvis.

Sofia Coppola put an instrumental ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ in the movie

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Coppola asked Elvis Presley Enterprises if she could use recordings of Elvis in her movie. They turned her down. She said this was because Elvis Presley Enterprises protects their brand and doesn’t like projects they didn’t originate. There’s still nods to Elvis’ music in the finished film, such as a cover of “Guitar Man” and instrumental versions of “Aura Lee” ( the folk song that inspired the melody of “Love Me Tender”). However, the movie mostly includes songs by other artists from Elvis’ era, including Branda Lee, Frankie Avalon, and Tommy James & The Shondells — and a stunning use of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

During a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Coppola discussed the early cut of Priscilla. “Then when he [Elvis] first leaves for Germany, and there’s a long sad-in-Germany montage, we had him singing ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ and it was really like the voice of Elvis while she was left behind,” she revealed. “Anyway, we couldn’t use him, so Phoenix did the instrumental, and I’m really happy with the way the music turned out.”
Phoenix member Thomas Mars is a member of Phoenix, so that might just have something to do with the band’s work on the film.

Sofia Coppola wanted Elvis songs besides ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ in the film

Coppola revealed “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” wasn’t the only song by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll that was removed from Priscilla. “In our early cut, I had a few Elvis songs, but only two or three — to give some impression of him,” she said. “But I always knew they might not give us permission, so I tried not to be too attached.

“I love ‘Pocketful of Rainbows,'” she added. “My husband played it for me and I listened to it a lot when we were shooting, so I really wanted to use that song.”

Why Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ didn’t deter Sofia Coppola from making ‘Priscilla’

Coppola contrasted her movie with Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. While Priscilla barely features the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s songs, “I thought it could be a counterpoint,” she explained. “I knew that Baz was making his movie while I was working on this one.”

Coppola didn’t feel deterred from completing her film when she learned about Elvis. She noted that Priscilla is a minor character in Luhrmann’s movie. She thought Priscilla could tell a different side of the story. The to films feel like yin and yang, with Elvis being flashy, macho, and fast, and Priscilla feeling restrained, feminine, and slowly paced.

“Are Your Lonesome Tonight?’ isn’t in Priscilla but it still makes interesting use of music.