With Priscilla set to hit cinemas in the United States today (for those looking forward to watching it in the UK, our time will come in January 2024) the film joins the ever-expanding pantheon of media surrounding one of the most famous pop stars to grace this earth.
Following on from offerings like Austin Butler’s Elvis (2022), Kurt Russell’s film of the same name (1979) and various documentaries like The King, Priscilla sets itself apart by focusing on the often-overlooked life of the singer’s eponymous young wife.
What also makes Priscilla different to its predecessors is its creative team. Notably, as well as being directed by Sofia Coppola, it is adapted from the memoir Elvis & Me by the actual Priscilla Presley, who executive produced the movie and served as a sort of consultant for lead actor Cailee Spaeny.
It was this relationship that led to a “spooky” moment during preparation for the film, as Cailee revealed to The Hollywood Reporter.
“She and I were on the phone and [Priscilla gasped],” Cailee shared, before telling her: “’Do you hear that? He’s on the radio.”
The Mare Of Easttown actor continued: “And then she put the phone up to the speaker… And I said, ‘Does he come up on your radio a lot?’ And she said, ‘No, he doesn’t … That’s a bit strange.’
“So I got that firsthand experience with her, and I definitely felt like she thought that was a bit spooky.”
Cailee will star opposite Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley, following on from Austin Butler’s Oscar-nominated performance in 2021.
A24’s official synopsis for Priscilla reads: “When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend.
“Through Priscilla’s eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla’s long courtship and turbulent marriage.”
Priscilla will hit cinemas in the UK on Friday 5 January 2024.