Sofia Coppola reveals what inspired her to make Elvis Presley's wife biopic Priscilla

Sofia Coppola's Priscilla is currently inching closer to its worldwide release. The film tells the story of Priscilla Ann Presley, wife to King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley. Ahead of its release, Coppola opens up on what drove her to adapt Priscilla's biographical memoir spotlighting Elvis, into what is essentially a women-centric retelling of the star couple's lives.

3 things you need to know

• Priscilla will be Sofia Coppola's eighth feature film as a director. 
• The film is a direct adaptation of Priscilla Presley's 1985 biographical memoir, Elvis and Me.
• Priscilla will be releasing in theatres on October 27, this year.

Sofia Coppola opens up on her inspiration behind Priscilla

In an exclusive interview with FT, Sofia Coppola revealed her primary objective in cinematising Elvis and Me in a manner that spotlights Priscilla and not the King of Rock and Roll. Coppola recalled how though she had read the memoir earlier on in her life, revisiting it inspired her to explore the novel on-screen in a manner which centre-lined the theme of growing into womanhood, especially under the wing of an overarching husband. 

(Sofia Coppola with Cailee Spaeny on the sets of Priscilla | Image: @FilmUpdates/X)

She said, "I had looked at Elvis and Me maybe 10 years ago… But, on reading it again, it spoke to me (about) my mom’s generation, and how my mom grew up with a big force of a husband...All those stages of transition, from girlhood to adult womanhood. I felt it was relatable."

Sofia Coppola on the Priscilla aesthetic

Speaking about the visual artistic influences in the film, Sofia Coppola mentioned William Eggleston's 1984 series Graceland. This, combined with the theme of the American dream makes up the primary aesthetic of Priscilla the movie. Coppola further elaborated how she made it a point to include heavy Americana and Memphis influences in the visual aesthetic of the film.