Lisa Marie Presley hated the depiction of her father, Elvis Presley, in the script for Sofia Coppola’s new film, “Priscilla.”‘
Four months before the “Lights Out” singer died of cardiac arrest in January 2023, she emailed Coppola, asking her to reconsider her portrayal of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, according to Variety.
In the messages, the only child of Elvis pleaded with the filmmaker to change the “shockingly vengeful and contemptuous” script, revealing that it would further strain the already fragile relationship with her mother, Priscilla Presley.
The biopic is based on Priscilla’s 1985 memoir, “Elvis and Me,” and follows her courtship and eventual marriage to Elvis, whom she met when she was 14 and he was 24.
“My father only comes across as a predator and manipulative,” Lisa Marie reportedly wrote. “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?”
She also begged Coppola to consider the scrutiny the movie would bring upon Elvis’ surviving grandchildren — Riley Keough, Finley Lockwood and Harper Lockwood — as they continued to grieve the loss of their brother, Benjamin Keough, who died by suicide in 2020 at age 27.
Lisa Marie also threatened to make her feelings known publicly.
“I will be forced to be in a position where I will have to openly say how I feel about the film and go against you, my mother and this film publicly,” she reportedly wrote.
Page Six previously exclusively reported that people associated with Elvis were not pleased with the movie, which sees Cailee Spaeny play the young Priscilla Beaulieu, opposite Jacob Elordi’s Elvis role.
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Even the casting caused dissent among the Presley camp: Spaeny, at 5’1″, was towered over by Elordi, who is 6’5″ — a full 5 inches taller than the real Elvis.
“The intent was surely to make them feel even more different than they were,” said an Elvis estate source told us last month. “Even down to the casting, you have this huge man and this tiny girl. It feels like somebody wanted to grossly misrepresent Elvis and Priscilla and their relationship.”
The movie’s focus on Priscilla being 14 when she met Elvis was also a source of annoyance, with a source explaining: “Elvis did nothing not within the nature of what Priscilla’s parents were OK with.”
Sources also told Page Six that Lisa Marie was not thrilled with the script for “Priscilla” — and thought that her mother was being manipulated by the filmmakers.
Priscilla, 78, is credited as an executive producer and has participated in publicity for the film, which was opened in limited release on Oct. 27 ahead of its worldwide release on Nov. 3.
When asked for comment by Variety, the “Lost in Translation” director, 52, shared through a rep words she expressed in response to the emails.
“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,” Coppola told the outlet.
An insider claimed to Variety that efforts were made to “tone down” some of the more salacious and shocking elements of the couple’s courtship.
The source added that Coppola’s goal was to tell a “love story” with “the primary tension being Priscilla’s struggles to adapt to life with a global superstar.”
Lisa Marie is believed to have seen an early version of the script that was eventually “trimmed” by about 10 pages.
Source: NewsFinale
