Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley were one of the most famous married couples in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Despite this, the upcoming biopic Priscilla will feature none of the “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer‘s music. During an interview, director Sofia Coppola explained why this is the case.
The song Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley heard when they 1st met is in the film
The film Priscilla will be directed by Coppola, who is already known for arthouse offerings such as The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette. During a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she revealed she asked Elvis Presley Enterprises for permission to use the rocker’s music. The company turned her down. “They don’t like projects that they haven’t originated, and they’re protective of their brand,” Coppola said. “But that made us be more creative.”
Already, Coppola has given fans insight into the music that will appear in Priscilla. She had the indie rock band Phoenix covered Frankie Avalon’s “Venus” for the movie. Notably, the song played when Elvis and Priscilla first met and Coppola used it as Priscilla’s musical cue in the movie. In addition, Priscilla will include the Ramones’ cover of “Baby, I Love You” by The Ronettes. Even when it’s anachronistic, the film’s music still recalls the era depicted.
Sofia Coppola and her producer discussed how ‘Priscilla’ portrays its 2 main characters
In addition to the Priscilla‘s music, Coppola discussed its sound design. “When Elvis is in the building, there’s a different energy because he’s so full of life,” Coppola said. “When he’s gone, it’s more quiet.”
Producer Youree Henley discussed the differences in how the filmmakers handled Elvis and Priscilla as characters. “Every time Elvis shows up, we just burn money,” he recalled. “With Priscilla, things felt sure-footed and we knew what to do and we had the means to do it. And Elvis would whirl in and it would be like, ‘Oh man, that guy’s always got to be in some crazy outfit and he’s always got to have 10 people around him.’”
This won’t be the 1st movie about Elvis Presley with other singers’ music
Using other artist’s music to tell a story about Elvis is not without precedent. In 2022, Baz Luhrmann released his biopic, Elvis. The film was a hit and so was its soundtrack, which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and spent 20 weeks on the chart.
The film and its soundtrack use songs by Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Doja Cat, Eminem, CeeLo Green, and Tame Impala to bring the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s story to life. Despite this, the movie still features near-constant use of the singer’s music, so it’s radically different from Priscilla.
Priscilla has an uphill battle to tell its story without Elvis’ music but Coppola has already proven herself a master filmmaker.
