With Sofia Coppola‘s Priscilla on the verge of its theatrical release, a new report reveals what the late Lisa Marie Presley thought of the film about her mother Priscilla‘s relationship with her father, Elvis Presley.
Priscilla stars Cailee Spaeny as the titular persona and Jacob Elordi as the so-called King of Rock and Roll. The movie is based on Priscilla‘s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me” and tackles her complicated romance with Elvis, who started dating Priscilla when she was 14 and he was 24.
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Prior to her death earlier this year, Lisa Marie was shocked and horrified by the movie’s portrayal of her father, Variety reported on Thursday (November 2).
In emails obtained by the outlet, Lisa Marie expressed her strong displeasure with Sofia‘s script.
One of the messages read: “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. I don’t read this and see my mother’s perspective of my father. I read this and see your shockingly vengeful and contemptuous perspective and I don’t understand why?”
The exchange reportedly took place in September 2022, just weeks before production on Priscilla began.
Lisa Marie wrote in another message: “I am worried that my mother isn’t seeing the nuance here or realizing the way in which Elvis will be perceived when this movie comes out. I feel protective over my mother who has spent her whole life elevating my father’s legacy. I am worried she doesn’t understand the intentions behind this film or the outcome it will have.”
The late singer also stressed concern to Sofia about how with how the movie would impact her young children, sharing an anecdote involving one of her daughters, Harper Lockwood.
“I had to explain that we are going to have to endure another hit in our lives,” Lisa Marie wrote. That there is going to be a movie about her grandfather that is going to try to make him look really, really bad but it’s not true. I had to explain that her beloved grandmother is supporting it. These two little girls have been through so much in the past 7 years, enduring my divorce and horrific custody battle and then losing their brother. We’ve all been drowning.”
Lisa Marie added that she did not understand Sofia‘s “need to attempt to take my father down on the heels of such an incredible film using the excuse that you are trying to tell my mother’s story, but from your very dark and jaded reality.”
When asked for a comment on the matter, Sofia said through her representative that she told Lisa Marie at the time: “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.”
Priscilla releases in theaters on November 3.