When adapting Priscilla Presley’s memoir, Elvis and Me, into her newest movie, Priscilla, filmmaker Sofia Coppola longed to discover who the Presleys have been “behind closed doorways,” learning their residence films to seize “the essence of them and the way they have been collectively.”
Coppola reunited with stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi for Vainness Honest’s Notes on a Scene, the place they dissect a pivotal non-public second between Priscilla and Elvis. Within the scene, Elvis listens to subpar demo data in his residence workplace earlier than asking Priscilla her opinion. When she expresses doubts in regards to the songs, Elvis hurls a chair in Priscilla’s course, which hits the wall mere inches from her face.
Though Priscilla writes of this incident in her ebook, Coppola says she was insistent that Elvis “didn’t ever throw a chair at me. It was on the wall subsequent to me.” The musician didn’t truly attempt to damage his spouse, Coppola emphasizes—“however he misplaced his mood.” Seeing the character lose his cool was key in exploring Elvis and Priscilla’s generally fraught relationship. “A whole lot of the film you’re in his extra light, extra susceptible facet,” Coppola explains. “We would like it to really feel such as you’re at all times in Priscilla’s perspective, and it to be surprising when somebody’s temper shifts like that.”
Speany says she obtained useful perception into Priscilla’s headspace by talking to the girl herself previous to manufacturing. “I had a lot of totally different conversations along with her earlier than I began filming, how she was toeing that line between being supportive, but additionally talking her thoughts,” the actor says. “And I feel this scene is her type of taking these first steps of getting an opinion and voicing it.”
To inhabit the so-called King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elordi, who didn’t know a lot about Elvis till he watched Disney’s Lilo & Sew as a child, devoted lots of time to emulating Presley’s well-known voice. “I’m fairly fortunate to sort of be in his register anyway,” says Elordi. “However I feel, for me, it was attempting to invent what he would sound like behind closed doorways, as a result of everybody has a performing voice and a talking voice.”
And whereas Austin Butler seemingly saved utilizing his Elvis accent lengthy after filming wrapped on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, Elordi was capable of impress the actual Priscilla with out going fairly as far. “After we watched the movie with Priscilla the primary time, what struck her probably the most was how a lot his voice seemed like Elvis, in order that was a giant thrill,” Coppola says. Provides Elordi, “It was an excellent reduction.” Watch the total video above.
