Sofia Coppola Affirms Priscilla Presley’s Support and Praise for Her Elvis and Me Biopic, Disregarding Criticism from the Rocker’s Estate

Sofia Coppola has revealed how Priscilla Presley ‘complimented’ her work while shooting the upcoming biopic about her life with the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll.

Elvis and Me, based on the 1985 memoir written by Priscilla, chronicles her early relationship with the late rock icon.

The upcoming film was directed by Coppola, 52, and stars Cailee Spaeny, 25, as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi, 26.

Coppola has revealed how 78-year-old Priscilla praised her efforts on the film and became deeply involved in telling her story – despite members of Elvis’ estate decrying the biopic and claiming it was produced without the knowledge or consent of the family.

Speak with W magazineCoppola said: ‘(Priscilla) was open and complimentary about my work, but she was a bit cautious.

“I sent Priscilla the script, and she went through it page by page and gave me specific details, like ‘I didn’t have a teddy bear on my bed.’

‘But I ended up reinventing a few things, like Elvis’ bedroom. I wanted him to have a man cave, very dark and mysterious.”

The icon also spoke with Cailee often over the phone, delving deeper into the emotions she experienced in each scene and before each moment with Elvis.

But Cailee revealed she had to tone down their calls so as not to be influenced too much.

“We had a lot of phone calls, but once I started filming, I stopped talking to Priscilla because it became too overwhelming,” she said. “In the end, it had to be Sofia’s vision.”

On many levels, Sofia said she felt a connection with Priscilla.

Apart from the fact that they both had the same childhood – both of which involved moving often – Sofia also identified with the fact that Priscilla was absorbed in her relationship with Elvis.

“During the day, Priscilla went to Catholic school in Memphis for her senior year, and at night she partied with Elvis,” she explained.

“I found that reality fascinating: She wasn’t allowed to bring friends to Graceland, and she heard other girls whispering about her. She was so isolated.

“It was strangely relatable: When I was in my 20s, I remember having a crush on a guy, and part of that was that when I was with him, I didn’t have to develop an identity of my own: I could just be the girlfriend of this man, and that would be so much easier.

‘I was devastated when that relationship didn’t work out. But it forced me to find my own personality, and that’s a similar story to what happened with Priscilla: she lost herself in Elvis.”

She also admired Priscilla for her decision to divorce Elvis during a difficult era for women.

“I was so impressed that Priscilla left Elvis,” she told the outlet. ‘She always tried to be his fantasy, his ideal woman. I think about my mother’s generation and how hard it was to be independent.

‘Women who had no power or money at the time had nothing when they left their husbands. Priscilla had courage, and that seemed to me to be a universal theme.’

In an accompanying photoshoot for the magazine, Sofia looked striking in a range of poses.

She also appears on the cover of the magazine’s Volume 5, The Originals Issue.

Priscilla has previously praised Coppola’s film adaptation, but admitted it was “difficult” to watch a film that ties so closely to her life.

According to The Hollywood Reportershe said during a panel, “It’s very hard to watch a movie about you and about your life and about your love.”

‘But Sofia did a fantastic job. She did her homework. And I really did everything I could for her.”

The latest interview comes just months after members of Elvis’ estate trashed the film, with a person associated with the organization describing Coppola’s writing and directing as “terrible,” according to TMZ.

The official added that the entire production “feels like a college movie.”

“The set designs are just horrific, it’s not what Graceland looks like,” the official said.

But Priscilla spoke highly of the project.

“I am very excited to see the interpretation of my book by the masterful Sofia Coppola. She has such an extraordinary perspective and I have always been such an admirer of her work.

“I’m sure this film will take everyone on an emotional journey,” said Priscilla.

Scheduled for release on November 3, the film follows Elvis and Priscilla’s romance from their first meeting, their 1967 wedding and subsequent divorce.

A trailer for the film showed flashes of their life together and was released five months after the death of Priscilla and Elvis’ child, Lisa Marie Presley.

It follows the release of Baz Luhrmann’s hit Elvis biopic, which earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Austin Butler and Best Picture.