Coppola's "Priscilla" to Headline 61st New York Film Festival

Film at Lincoln Center has announced that Sofia Coppola's film, Priscilla, will take center stage at the 61st New York Film Festival as the Centerpiece selection. The A24 film starring Cailee Spaeny as Pricilla Beaulieu, the sole wife of Elvis Presley, is set to have its North American premiere at Alice Tully Hall on October 6. The festival itself spans from September 29 to October 15, with Todd Haynes’ May December, featuring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, launching the event.

Coppola's film throws a spotlight on a side of Elvis Presley's life that is often overlooked - his relationship with Priscilla. As one of the most obsessively-followed figures in history, much is known about the King of Rock 'n' Roll, but Priscilla's narrative has largely been unexplored. Through Priscilla, Coppola continues her trend of exploring the complex lives of women in private, tracing Priscilla’s love story with Elvis, portrayed by Jacob Elordi, from her teenage years in West Germany to her surreal life at Graceland.

Coppola expressed her excitement, stating, "I am honored to be back at the New York Film Festival with my new film and to be telling Priscilla Presley’s story, unseen side of a great American myth." The screenplay is based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me. The filmmaker has had previous films, including On the Rocks (2020) and Marie Antoinette (2006), selected for the New York Film Festival.

According to Dennis Lim, the festival’s Artistic Director, "Priscilla is a culminating triumph for Sofia Coppola, a filmmaker with a singular gift for illuminating the interior lives of her characters." Sofia Coppola, revered in the industry for her unique filmmaking style, was the second woman to win Best Director in Cannes for The Beguiled (2017). Her impressive filmography extends to The Virgin Suicides (1999), Lost in Translation (2003), The Bling Ring (2013) and A Very Murray Christmas (2015). She also served as producer on Fairyland (2023).

Priscilla features cinematography by Philippe Le Sourd and Original music by Phoenix. Produced by Coppola, Youree Henley, and Lorenzo Mieli of The Apartment/Fremantle and American Zoetrope.

Now, to the fun part - commentary.

It's safe to say that Coppola is no stranger to coloring outside the lines, and her latest offering promises to be a rendering as tender as blue suede shoes on a moonlit dance floor. Can we already hear the whispers of Oscar buzz?

Coppola seems to have found her silver-screen sweet spot in recounting the narratives of women navigating labyrinthine lives, hidden from the voyeuristic eyes of public scrutiny. And who better to rekindle this fascination with than Priscilla Presley, the woman who intimately knew and loved an icon larger than life itself?

Adding to the intrigue, the role of Elvis has fallen into the capable hands of Jacob Elordi - better known for his role in the hit series Euphoria. Can we expect a grittier Elvis, swathed in layers more complex than the figure we've come to know through countless ditties and gyrations?

Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla? That's the cherry atop the sundae of intrigue that this film is shaping up to be. Prepare to have your wigs snatched and your expectations blown out of the water - this isn't Elvis through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, but his life through the perspective of a woman who shared his highs, lows, and everything in between.

So mark your calendars and warm up that popcorn. Graceland's gates are about to open for a compelling journey that promises to be as mesmerizing as Elvis' hip-thrusts, but with a dose of unfiltered reality that only Coppola can bestow. It's safe to say, come October, we are going to have a very unlonely night at the movies.