Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi are Priscilla and Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s new movie.
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Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi are Priscilla and Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s new movie.
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Sofia Coppola wished to inform a distinct form of Elvis story in her new movie, Priscilla.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley are iconic figures in American tradition and folklore — “form of the closest we’ve got to royalty,” she says. Although Coppola knew Priscilla was 10 years youthful than her husband, she by no means actually understood what that age hole meant till she learn Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me. In it, Priscilla describes assembly Elvis in Germany when she was 14 and he was a 24-year-old music celebrity.
“I felt like my function was simply to elucidate her expertise and at all times undergo [Priscilla’s] viewpoint,” Coppola says of the movie. “I believed [of] all of the issues we’ve got to undergo as a teen [that] she was going by means of whereas she was dwelling in Graceland with Elvis.”
Priscilla suits neatly into Coppola’s physique of labor, which incorporates Misplaced in Translation, The Virgin Suicides, The Bling Ring and Marie Antoinette. All middle younger feminine protagonists — a viewpoint that felt missing when Coppola was arising.
“I not often noticed teenage ladies depicted in a approach that I felt was relatable and form of true to that have for me,” she says. “I at all times like tales about transformation — and that is such an excessive time of transformation.”
By way of TikTok and streaming, a brand new technology of younger girls — some born after her earlier movies have been launched — have found her work.
“There’s women and girls that really feel seen, and a whole lot of them are telling me they wish to be filmmakers,” she says. “It is so thrilling that I believe, ‘Oh my God, there’s going to be an enormous wave of all these movies made by these younger girls that I am unable to wait to see.’ “
Coppola’s new e-book, Archive, is a set of pictures, annotated scripts and paperwork from the eight movies she’s made to this point.
Interview highlights
On Elvis controlling Priscilla’s look
He had actually particular concepts of how she ought to look, and he or she was nearly like this doll to him. I believe at first it was enjoyable. He would take her to those shops with glamorous attire — intimidating, however thrilling. That factor whenever you’re younger, you are attempting to be extra grown up, or slot in with the older youngsters, and so I approached it like that. …
One of many particulars from the e-book that I cherished, that’s within the movie, is that she was placing on her false eyelashes as she was going into labor — simply the dedication to glamour always. I believe she was at all times “performed.” I do not assume she ever went downstairs with out full hair and make-up and dressed utterly. And she or he mentioned he at all times got here down in a full outfit, like there was no lounging round and out of doors.
On referring to Priscilla’s younger life rising up round superstar
I am unable to think about something on the size of what she went by means of. To be round somebody so well-known — that should have been such a shock, as a result of her childhood was nothing like that earlier than. I do know what it is like – the distinction between a celebrated public particular person after which in non-public, they seem to be a regular particular person. Seeing the best way folks acted round my dad [filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola], or going to the Cannes Movie Pageant as a child. … I had some sense of how folks act round superstar. …
I keep in mind speaking to my mother about a few of her frustrations of being a girl of that period. Priscilla was the identical technology as my mother. … My mother mentioned that to have a profitable husband and a good looking dwelling, that was imagined to be sufficient to satisfy a girl, and he or she felt so confused that she had inventive expression that she wished to appreciate. What was flawed along with her, that she wasn’t proud of simply having a household and a good looking dwelling? … And when [Priscilla says she] desires to get a job and [Elvis] says, “No, I want you to remain at dwelling” — that was simply what was anticipated of girls at the moment.
On discovering music for the movie after Elvis’ property denied use of his songs
I at all times knew that we would must have backup plans and determine one thing else out. And since the main focus is her story, it is form of cool that there is not even Elvis music in it, however I might have preferred to have [the song] “Pocketful of Rainbows” of his that I really like. However I might heard that [his estate is] very controlling concerning the materials made on him. …
I did not take heed to a whole lot of that music rising up, however I at all times cherished lady teams and Phil Spector, in order that was acquainted to me. That is my favourite of that period. And there is one thing concerning the Phil Spector sound that has, like, a grandeur and this large manufacturing, and it is form of swelling and strings. It is actually romantic. And I wished the story to be extremely romantic, of her first teen love and form of this fairy story. It seems to be excellent on the surface, after which it form of melts within the actuality of when she goes into this world. It has an Alice in Wonderland feeling to me, her time in Graceland.
Jacob Elordi, Cailee Spaeny and Sofia Coppola on the set of Priscilla.
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Jacob Elordi, Cailee Spaeny and Sofia Coppola on the set of Priscilla.
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On casting Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla
It was daunting. I imply, the very first thing I considered is, for Priscilla, how am I going to search out an actress that may play 14, believably, to twenty-eight, that vary? And it is at all times essential to me that that teenager feels genuine and that that is performed proper. I requested my casting staff for assist they usually urged assembly Cailee Spaeny as a result of she was an up-and-coming actress that they thought was gifted. And I keep in mind seeing her in one thing else and I believed, she was like 15. I could not imagine she has such a child face … once I met her, she actually appeared like a child. And so I felt like she may pull that off. And since she’s in her 20s, I knew that she may specific the older girl and Kirsten Dunst had simply labored along with her … and he or she informed me … how gifted she thought she was. So that actually gave me the boldness that I felt like that might work properly collectively as a result of I belief Kirsten a lot.
On her career-long collaboration with Kirsten Dunst
Working along with her on my first movie in Virgin Suicides, we simply fashioned a bond. … I at all times like to work along with her and at all times I am enthusiastic about tasks that I can do along with her. She simply has a approach of expressing some facet of myself or one thing I am desirous about in a approach that … we barely must say. We’ve got a shorthand. And I simply love her sensibility and her humorousness. It is simply enjoyable to see what she does with the fabric. And we form of grew up collectively in our profession life and as folks. I met her once I was 29 and now we each … have had youngsters. And it is enjoyable to see her now be a mom. And so she’s like a little bit sister.
On her e-book, Archive
Each time I end a movie, I form of throw all of the stuff from my desk and the supplies from prep in a field. Through the pandemic I used to be in search of some pictures and form of going by means of them and I discovered all these packets from a Japanese one-hour picture place … from Misplaced in Translation, and I believed I ought to do one thing with them and make a scrapbook. … I felt like there’s been sufficient movies that I hoped that younger filmmakers or younger folks which might be thinking about my work — It is perhaps fascinating [for them] to see the references and the way issues are made a little bit bit. …
By making this e-book, it was good to only have a second the place I appeared like, “Wow, I’ve an entire physique of labor!” … You do not often sit again and see that, however yeah, I am so grateful as a result of it was actually … a whole lot of work and actually daunting at first of my profession to be taken severely and to make a reputation for myself. … So to be at this level the place folks respect my work and see me that approach, it is actually gratifying.
Sofia Coppola naps on the set of her 2003 movie, Marie Antoinette.
Archive (2023) by Sofia Coppola revealed by MACK
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Archive (2023) by Sofia Coppola revealed by MACK
Sofia Coppola naps on the set of her 2003 movie, Marie Antoinette.
Archive (2023) by Sofia Coppola revealed by MACK
Heidi Saman and Susan Nyakundi produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey tailored it for the online.
