Sofia Coppola is undeniably a filmmaker with a definite and distinctive model. Her acclaimed physique of labor, together with movies corresponding to Misplaced in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and The Virgin Suicides, has constantly captivated audiences together with her mesmerizing storytelling. I eagerly await her forthcoming A24 flick, Priscilla, however an unmade venture holds my curiosity too. Earlier than the latest Disney remake, the Godfather Half III performer had delved deeply right into a live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. In a latest interview, she revealed why she determined to step away from the Common Photos venture.
Sitting down to speak with Rolling Stone, Sofia opened up about her temporary involvement with an adaption of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale for Common Photos. When requested in regards to the breaking level that led her to exit the venture, she candidly revealed:
Sure, there was [a breaking point]. I used to be in a boardroom, and a few improvement man mentioned, ‘What’s gonna get the 35-year-old man within the viewers?’ And I simply didn’t know what to say. I simply was not in my factor. I really feel like I used to be naive, after which I felt so much just like the character within the story, making an attempt to do one thing out of my factor, and it was a humorous parallel of the story for me.
Coppola’s distinctive filmmaking is marked by its deal with intimate, character-driven narratives that always delve into themes of loneliness, alienation, and the human situation. Her movies possess a novel attract that transcends demographic boundaries. Nevertheless, it is evident that her creative imaginative and prescient, particularly within the case of The Little Mermaid, hasn’t all the time aligned with the business issues usually related to Hollywood blockbusters. It is a problem she has encountered greater than as soon as. She elaborates on this level:
It occurs so much as a result of often the folks financing issues are straight males. So it’s not the identical viewpoint, however you’re making an attempt to clarify, like, ‘Individuals, not everybody’s gonna be into what you’re into,’ however I simply wished to make issues that attraction to me and categorical that.
The Little Mermaid may be a beloved traditional fairytale, however the On the Rocks director clearly felt that her inventive instincts have been out of sync with the venture’s route. Because the live-action movie stopped at Common and Disney started its personal tackle the story with director Rob Marshall, Coppola moved on to a different well-known story as she is the director of Priscilla, the movie about Priscilla Presley’s relationship with Elvis.
Final 12 months marked a major one for the “King of Rock-and-Roll.” Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis was a large hit, even incomes a 2023 Oscar nomination for Austin Butler, and Elvis’s presence on the large display is way from over. Moviegoers can anticipate the discharge of Priscilla, one other movie centered round Elvis, which is slated for the 2023 film launch schedule.
Nevertheless, this forthcoming venture may not be becoming a member of the ranks of greatest music biopics, as a result of will probably be something however an easy biography of the Jailhouse Rock singer. Coppola particularly delves into the early controversial romance between Elvis and Priscilla, who was solely 14 on the time of their assembly. Whereas the musician’s property reportedly disapproves of the Oscar-winning director’s upcoming endeavor, Priscilla Presley, who’s an govt producer on the A24 movie, holds a extra constructive perspective, saying, “It looks like a school film.”
Sofia Coppola may not have been capable of be part of Little Mermaid’s world, however I’m so blissful she introduced Priscilla Presley’s story to the large display, as a result of it appears unbelievable. Priscilla releases in theaters on November 3.
You can even get a extra theatrical have a look at the late musician’s life by revisiting 2022’s Elvis, which is obtainable on streaming for anybody with a Max subscription. Or make amends for Disney’s The Little Mermaid reboot with a Disney+ subscription.
