After a three-year hiatus following the release of On the Rocks in 2020, director Sofia Coppola returns to cinemas later this year with Priscilla, a biographical film which showcases the relationship between Priscilla and Elvis Presley. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States by A24 on November 3, 2023.
This project is the first of Coppola’s feature films to focus on real historical events and personalities since Marie Antoinette in 2006. Coppola adapted the screenplay from Priscilla Presley’s own memoir Elvis and Me. Priscilla premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, receiving a seven-minute standing ovation. The film will be released in the United States by A24 on November 3, 2023.
Everything You Should Know Before Seeing Priscilla
In her review for Time magazine, critic Stephanie Zacharek writes, “Have you ever had an intense experience — fallen madly in love, say — only to look back years later and feel it had happened to a different person, a person who had walked through a dream, and survived it, to get to the self you were destined to become? That’s the feeling Sofia Coppola captures in her quietly extraordinary Priscilla.”
With so many promising early reviews, Priscilla looks to be a contender for various Academy Awards. But before you watch the film, here’s everything you need to know.
Sofia Coppola’s Directorial Style & History
Sofia Coppola, the daughter of famed American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, has become renowned in her own right as one of the most successful and distinctive voices in American cinema over the last twenty years.
Coppola’s directorial debut came in 1999 with The Virgin Suicides, starring Kirsten Dunst. The film was a modest box-office success but has since gained cult status for its unique visual style and depiction of adolescent angst.
Lost in Translation (2003), Coppola’s second film, cemented her status as one of the foremost stylists in contemporary American cinema and launched her career into the mainstream. The film won Coppola an Academy Award for her original screenplay and was nominated for three further Oscars in the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor categories.
Coppola then reunited with star Kirsten Dunst for Marie Antoinette (2006), her first period film and the first to focus on historical events. Despite this, it is widely recognized as one of her most highly stylized films and features lavish costume design (for which the film received an Academy Award) and an engaging soundtrack.
Throughout several of Coppola’s next films, she continued to explore the themes of youth and alienation.
Priscilla will mark Coppola’s eighth feature film as a director.
Plot
The official story description is as follows: “When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley, 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.”
Early reviews suggest Priscilla may be slightly restrained for Coppola, featuring a more subtle visual and narrative style. Speaking about the film’s development, Coppola says, “I’ve had [Presley’s] memoir for years and remember reading it a long time ago. A friend of mine was talking about her recently, and we got around to discussing the book. I read it again and was really moved by her story. I was supposed to start this big Edith Wharton project that was gonna take five months to shoot and felt really daunting. I came up against a few hurdles, so I just decided to pivot to making one film with one idea. I was just so interested in Priscilla’s story and her perspective on what it all felt like to grow up as a teenager in Graceland. She was going through all the stages of young womanhood in such an amplified world — kinda similar to Marie Antoinette.”
Coppola has also revealed that Priscilla Presley herself is an executive producer of the film.
Release Date
Priscilla will premiere in theaters in the U.S. on November 3, 2023, in a wide release by A24 Studios.
Official Trailer
Get a sneak peek of what to expect by checking out the official trailer below:
Cast
Here is a look at the main cast appearing in Priscilla:
- Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
- Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley
- Dagmara Domińczyk as Ann Beaulieu
- Raine Monroe Boland and Emily Mitchell as Lisa Marie Presley
- Jorja Cadence as Patsy Presley
- Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll as Alan “Hog Ears” Fortas
- Luke Humphrey as Terry West
Crew
The film is directed, written, and co-produced by Sofia Coppola. It features cinematography by Phillipe Le Sourd, editing by previous collaborator Sarah Flack, and music by the band Phoenix.
Runtime
The film will have a runtime of 110 minutes, or 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Rating
The film will be released with an R rating.
Will Priscilla Be Available Streaming on a Streaming Service?
The film is currently scheduled for a theatrical release in November, and while a streaming release has yet to be announced, you can expect the film to appear on streaming services in the months following its theatrical release.
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