PRISCILLA opens on November 3rd
Despite not being a songwriter, Priscilla Presley has long been one of the well-known and iconic figures in the history of American music. The former wife of the late, great Elvis Presley, aka, the “King of Rock and Roll,” has been depicted in countless movies, both on the silver screen and television over the years, but more times than not in the context of her ex-husband’s story. However, that will soon change with the arrival of PRISCILLA, the upcoming biographical drama detailing her life in Graceland and everything that came with it.
The highly anticipated film, which opens in AMC Theatres nationwide on November 3rd, will tell Presley’s story, shedding light and offering a new perspective on one of the most iconic figures in rock and roll. Here is a breakdown of everything we know about the new biopic ahead of its big-screen debut…
When PRISCILLA opens in theatres in November, it will see two rising stars in today’s young Hollywood take on perhaps their biggest roles yet. Leading the cast is Cailee Spaeny, who will be taking on the role of Priscilla Presley, née Beaulieu, the young wife and muse of Elvis Presley, who is being portrayed by Jacob Elordi.
Throughout her career, which only goes back about a half-decade at the time of PRISCILLA’s release, Spaeny has appeared in movies like PACIFIC RIM UPRISING, BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, ON THE BASIS OF SEX, and THE CRAFT: LEGACY, to name only a few. Her small-screen credits include shows like “Mare of Easttown,” “Devs,” and most recently, “The First Lady,” in which she portrayed FDR’s oldest child and only daughter, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Halsted.
Prior to taking on the role of Elvis, Elordi made a name for himself with his turn as Noah Flynn in THE KISSING BOOTH and its various sequels. He’s also received praise for his portrayal of Nate Jacobs on the HBO drama series, “Euphoria.” The young actor is also set to appear in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming psychological thriller, SALTBURN.
A lot of the movies that have been made about Elvis and Priscilla have been from the legendary musician’s perspective and not that of his wife. Over the years, Priscilla has been treated as a footnote or portion of her one-time husband’s overall story, but not this time. PRISCILLA will instead dive deeper into the singer’s wife’s story and will see her as the focus with Elvis as a supporting character.
This isn’t to say that the “King of Rock and Roll” won’t be a major player in PRISCILLA, but instead he’ll be part of the story and not THE story this time around. It will be interesting to see how certain aspects of the saga change when examined through a different lens.
We’ve seen a lot of great movies based on memoirs over the years, with films like CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, LION, and THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING. And that trend could very well continue with PRISCILLA, as the soon-to-be-released biopic is an adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s “Elvis and Me,” according to Deadline. The 1985 book, which was written with Sandra Harmon, was a deep dive into the couple’s relationship, starting with their first interactions in West Germany in 1959 and going all the up to their 1973 divorce. How much of the nearly 300-page memoir ends up in the movie remains to be seen, but the material should make for an eye-opening experience.
“Elvis and Me” was previously adapted into the 1988 made-for-television movie of the same name, which saw Susan Walters take on the role of Prscilla and Dale Midkiff portray Elvis.
Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winner Sofia Coppola wrote and directed PRISCILLA, her ninth time sitting in the director’s chair. The daughter of acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, she is perhaps best known for her 2003 drama, LOST IN TRANSLATION, starring Bill Murray as an American actor in the twilight of his career who strikes up an unlikely friendship with the young wife (Scarlett Johansson) of a photographer visiting Tokyo.
PRISCILLA is Coppola’s first feature length film since directing the 2020 dramedy, ON THE ROCKS, which saw the second-generation filmmaker work with Murray once again. She also wrote and directed the 2015 holiday special, “A Very Murray Christmas.”
If you want to take a quick look at what PRISCILLA has to offer before the movie’s theatrical rollout kicks off in early November, look no further than the A24 film’s official trailer. Though it’s a rather brief preview, it clocks in at 98 seconds, the teaser sets the stage for the beginning of the famous rock and roll couple’s relationship and everything that followed, both the good and the bad.
Though the Elvis Presley estate denied Sofia Coppola’s request to use the singer’s famous tracks in the movie, per THR, the PRISCILLA trailer is filled with famous songs from that era.
Make sure to watch PRISCILLA when it comes to your local AMC Theatres location this November. We'll have to wait and see if the film or its performances are brought up in any of the early Oscar conversations.
PRISCILLA opens on November 3rd
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