Making of Priscilla, The (2023)

[bunniefuu]

Here we go, everybody.

Roll sound.

Action!

I didn't know what I was in for

because I was very young.

It's an interesting side of the story

that we're telling.

Okay, here's a rehearsal.

A side that we've never seen before.

He was a human being.

We all have flaws.

- Cut!

- Cut there.

- Great.

- Come on, step down.

Yeah, yeah...

Ha ha!

Two cameras going on.

Oh wow. Wow! From every angle.

That's how it would have felt.

Can you imagine?

STUDIO: PRISCILLA (CODE NAME "DOMINO")

FINAL PREP DAY BEFORE PRODUCTION

I don't know...

Oh my God!

So our pickleball court.

Pickleball court, nice.

I'm a 17 year old girl,

sh**ting a making of film,

about the story of another teenage girl.

In a very different time.

- It looks good.

- Thank you.

But I probably won't be wearing eyeliner

for a very long time.

I don't even play guitar.

I've learned, like, four chords.

I'm just practicing them every day cause

I just want to be able to play guitar.

It's beautiful, oh my God.

Yes, there's the one that he had,

it's so cool.

EXT: GRACELAND 1969

DAY ONE PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Let's, let's get one and two

all wired up please.

We think there is the first phase

where it is just your imagination.

And then you have

to articulate it and see.

And then, I think always, it always turns

out differently than you first imagine,

I think. But...

this has been pretty close

to how I imagined it, so far.

But guys, let's bring everybody

out to the front lawn for the puwaba.

That's a family tradition that

ever since I was a little kid

I remember.

It comes from his,

my dad's college theater days.

And how the puwaba's such a magic

word that's going to bring us luck.

And we're all going to hold hands

and say the magic word three times,

once we start

and it's to bring us good luck.

And I hope you have a safe sh**t, and

we're safe from injury and illness, and

that everyone has a great time

and thank you all for all your hard work,

and for joining us today.

Puwaba! Puwaba! Puwaba!

Here we go everybody.

And roll sound.

A big day, action!

It kind of strikes me as something

sort of fantasy like, out of a fairy tale.

Yeah, it reminds me

of

Alice in Wonderland.

Or... it does have that

that kind of fairy tale...

You know what, she thinks it's

a fairy tale and then realizes that

it's not what it's cracked up to be.

Alright baby, let's go!

- Cut! Great

- Cut there.

This is my

my copy that I adapted the script from.

It's like falling apart.

You know, I got this, like, for a while

I thought it was fun to read at the beach,

I'll like bring it on vacation.

And as I was reading it, I was really...

I don't know, I really connected with it.

And I grew up with charismatic...

Because of my dad that like our home

kind of revolved around

in a very minor way

compared to Elvis

but I can, you know, I know what it's like

to be around kind of a big figure.

Can you tell me a little bit

about the collaboration process

and learning about Priscilla's

life firsthand?

Yeah, it was the first

time that I made something

based on a person that was alive

and would speak to me about it.

So it was great that as I had questions,

I could, I kept a list of questions,

and then I would talk to Priscilla,

get to ask her about them.

It was important to me

that she felt like it was done right

felt accurate to her and for me

just to get little insider details.

I was like, "what were you doing

all that time when you were home?"

And so just to get specifics

and she said she went to

like charm school, etiquette school.

And I can try to fill in the

the pieces that that weren't in the book.

EXT: GRACELAND POOL

- Do you want a break? Jump in...

Being on a film set is the most fun

and intense and collaborative thing

I've ever been part of.

Nothing compares, really.

It's my favorite place on earth.

No, no!

I'd love to hear more

about you working with that

duo of Priscilla and Sofia.

And how was that back and forth?

Yeah, you know, I think the thing that was

so important about making this film

is that we wanted to stay true

to Priscilla's perspective of the story.

There are lots of big questions

that Sofia and I would have about

why did she make this choice

and what was going through her mind.

It's an interesting side of the story

that we're telling, a side

that we've never seen before.

We're playing these iconic characters,

but who they are behind closed doors

and what those sort of intimate moments

look like with each other,

these human moments

between these two.

So time limit and schedule

for this project was insane.

I know I felt my head's buried, there's

so much, so many different things.

It was so confusing

and never shot something so out of order

because of her, her looks

and like the locations.

Yeah, she was so hard working

and really wanted to do a good job

and put herself fully in it.

And she's so talented and just worked

so hard and was really focused

on each different

developmental stage of Priscilla

and having to take her

from 14 to in her late twenties.

- Their sides don't match...

- Ah yes.

So do you have a sort of favorite era?

Favorite look, maybe?

I think that the seventies

were so fun to play in

because she's wearing jeans,

she's got this new blowout

and a seventies tan.

It's just fascinating,

you know, using hair and makeup

to transition from being this young girl

and to then having to sort of present

a certain way for Elvis and then,

you know, coming into her own

and not wearing as much makeup

and dressing the way that she wanted to

dress, how that that was such a big tool

in her playing a sort of

character inside her own life.

It was such a form of expression and said

so much about where she was emotionally.

And action.

INT: MEMPHIS BOUTIQUE 1963

DRESS SHOPPING

We are now in the Memphis dress boutique

where Elvis takes Priscilla shopping

for his svengali makeover moment.

And then we'll see her

transformation into his ideal woman.

The brown in this one...

Yeah, you...

Black hair and more eye makeup.

We got to...

Alright, let's go.

INT: ELVIS' GERMANY HOUSE 1959 PRISCILLA

AND ELVIS MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME

Watching the art and costume

department work together

to transport us back in

time always blew my mind.

It's amazing what they were able to do.

Hello, Germany.

I got very lucky that Priscilla was open

to sit down with me

and go through this part of her life.

She told me the first night she met him

and she went to the party.

She was really hungry,

but whenever Elvis offered her

a sandwich to eat,

she said no because she couldn't

imagine eating a sandwich

in front of Elvis Presley.

So it was details like that

that were so special.

They were like gold,

you know, in trying to put

this massive puzzle piece together.

Not great...

Baby...

Yeah, how did you feel about seeing

all these moments of your life in a film?

Oh boy. It's just reliving it.

It's going back and really reliving it and

and missing a lot of it,

to be honest with you,

that looking at the good times,

the fun times,

the movie times.

How did you feel like

this whole experience shaped you

in becoming the woman that you are?

Mm, wow!

I didn't know what I was in for.

Because I was very young,

but I... it was such an amazing

learning experience.

It was an amazing life.

It was amazing meeting great people,

but none of them equal to Elvis.

I mean, he was my husband,

but I knew him as the man.

Did you ever think that your life

would take that direction

when you met him or first got to know him?

Did you ever think you

would be living at Graceland?

No! No, my gosh, no.

No. I knew nothing about Graceland.

I didn't know...

I didn't know anything about him.

Just that I liked his songs,

as every teenager did back in the day.

And of course, I, you know, when my

when he was supposed to be on Ed Sullivan,

I was told not to watch it.

So, you know, but my parents,

because of all that came out of

about how Elvis was affecting teenagers.

And so when he came on the show

on the TV, my parents

asked me to leave the room.

- It was scandalous.

- Yeah.

And I did see it because there

was a crack, you know, in the door.

And I watched it from there.

I'm thinking,

"Oh my God, this is different."

You know, this guy is really,

I mean, really good.

But never in my life

did I ever think that I would meet him.

Here!

I mean, to me,

the biggest challenge was like

how am I going to find

someone that could pull off Elvis?

And a friend of mine told me,

check out Jacob.

And when I met him, he's just, he has

a sweetness, but he's so charismatic.

He was able to just transform

in his mannerisms

and body language and poise.

And I just wanted

him to give the impression

of Elvis so that, you could buy,

you buy it enough to go along with,

you know, our imaginary

version like that.

I just got so lucky

that he put that work into it

the way that he did.

And I got to lean

on such an incredible actor.

I mean, he had this massive

task to take on

to play this character,

but I just thought he did it beautifully.

And you're so supportive of me.

And then obviously Sofia

just had all the trust

in the world in us

when even when we didn't.

A good group of people.

If you go out that door

and yell down to Joe, sh**t down,

INT: GRACELAND BEDROOM 1968

PRISCILLA GOES INTO LABOR

the woman is sort of,

calm and...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, because...

I thought that Jacob

did such a wonderful job

because we never get to see Elvis

quite like this, you know?

What was he like as a partner?

Who was he to his friends?

His tender moments, his anger.

So I felt that he did

such a beautiful job.

And, you know,

I'm the whole time, I'm reacting a lot.

Jerry, Joe! Fellas...

Get the car...

I closed the door...

It's okay, it's what you were doing.

You know, open the door.

Leave the door...

You want to call the Colonel?

I ain't calling the g*dd*mn Colonel.

You want a couple of plates?

You want some eggs?

Alberta! Lets get some eggs.

Alberta put some

bacon on there too.

- Cut!

- Cut there.

His Memphis Mafia was played by

some Toronto comedians and actors,

and they were incredible.

And they really filled that space

that was so essential.

There wasn't much acting I had to do.

I just had to listen to them

just be boys,

you know, they're real boys.

Should I bring this vase?

You want this vase, V?

INT: VEGAS 1972

ELVIS PERFORMS

- Hello you.

- Hello!

- How's it goin'?

- It's goin' good.

- Cool shoes.

- Thanks.

Cool shoes yourself!

Lets get the music cut off, please.

We're good to go.

And action!

The man must have

been sweating so much.

do the karate?

Oh yeah, can we do a little karate?

Okay...

That's what I've been waiting for.

Action!

All right, cut that. Thank you,

everybody. Wrap it up officially.

Well done today, please, everybody.

Thank you.

I think I just pulled an ab.

I'm not getting...

EXT: GRACELAND GATES - 1963

PRISCILLA AT THEE GRACELAND GATES

I'm worried about rain.

We had our cover sets, though, which

coming from Los Angeles, I'm always like

"Cover sets, why would you ever do that?"

And I learned very quickly.

It was like, yeah, it's real.

Thank God we had them,

and it worked out really well.

And now we have...

Very exciting!

It's always a good day

when you get a dog or a baby.

- Cut!

- Cut that, thank you.

Great, that was good. We got it.

- Just doin' my job.

- Ha ha, sorry.

Cailee, if I say...

Cailee? If I say for you car

and then I would go like

this, does that help you?

Or does that make you laugh?

There's a car and you follow it to her?

All right, we'll do that.

Perfect.

like a cheap Christmas card to

get the you guys in front of the gates?

Christmas card!

- And take your picture?

- It's the best...

It'd be so fun to have.

That's like, not festive.

Just take one for me to have.

I want a picture of you guys.

EXT: GRACELAND sh**ting RANGE 1963

Here we go. Ready?

And, action!

EXT: GRACELAND GROUNDS 1963

SHACK DEMOLITION

Do you want to go to craft services?

- I do want to go to craft services.

- Okay.

Oh my God...

Oh my God!

Should we take a picture of you and Jacob

in the middle, for my film camera?

Can you take a picture of me

and Jacob, on your iPhone?

No...

Mother of Teens / Director.

Stop being mean.

I don't care that she is

the director of this film.

The film is about to be over.

Sorry, I'll get a picture of you...

Let's start it up please!

On the move!

EXT: GRACELAND GROUNDS 1963

PARTY NIGHT!

There's a part of the film

where Priscilla's

going to high school

at a Catholic high school

and then at night, she has to stay

up all night, she's partying with Elvis.

And going out with him

and all his friends. And they

had fireworks,

Roman candle wars in the back yard.

- Everybody else...

- Around here please, for the light.

So, guys, we're at

that point if there are

no more questions

we're going to clear back.

We're going to look at...

Yeah, I love working with Phillippe,

this is our third movie.

We've done a few commercials and stuff.

- Who's that?

- Phillippe.

Yeah, he's great.

We talk about the story

before we're filming

so he's always looking out

for what we already talked about

the emotional part of it.

Okay, here's a rehearsal.

So we're doing the Roman candle fight.

Now we're goofing around

All their clothes are fire-proof.

They're really sh**ting the real ones.

- Oh wow.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Maybe cut.

- And cut it.

- Looked great.

- That's great.

It was so scary.

I actually, I didn't...

EXT: EAGLES CLUB GERMANY 1959

MEETING PRISCILLA

Where in the Eagles Club

were meeting Priscilla for the first time.

We have a big intro shot.

We're going to be halfway

through at the end of this week.

- Seriously, wow.

- It's gone by so fast.

It's crazy.

We've got so much more to do!

Okay guys picture's up.

Thank you.

And background, action.

I like that her parents told her

not to talk to strangers.

So yeah, there's a lot of and I like her...

I like, like how she's nonchalant

to cover up she's excited

about meeting Elvis.

It's no biggie.

Yeah, cut.

Cut there, thank you.

Reading her book, what...

what struck me or what I noted

is it was very touching because

I feel she goes through

all the stages that everyone goes through

from going from a girl

to a woman and adulthood

and that, and that...

So there's something very universal

about all those stages.

But that she went through that

in such an extreme,

you know, kind of crazy,

over-the-top world.

But they're all, it's all really,

you know, relatable.

- Cut! Okay, good.

- Cut there, thank you.

All right.

Wow!

And, action!

Yeah, it was really good,

But you look so much like her,

but it's your expression too.

- Really?

- Yeah, it's so cool.

Cool.

- Do you...

- What happens now?

EXT: HOSPITAL 1968

LISA MARIE IS BORN

Could you catch me up

a little bit on what we're doing?

Do you want me to turn

the music off?

It's going to be a

nightmare if you're editing.

Hey... let me ask.

I don't know how

I'm going to go back to real life

'cause now I just love having an AD

everything happens.

Tomorrow is our halfway mark,

so that's exciting.

And today we're sh**ting

Elvis and Priscilla leaving

the hospital with newborn Lisa Marie.

I always think it's funny,

when you look at background

and they're like...

You when they're

talking to each other...

but it's so hard to do,

I could never do that.

- So she's been in 20 minutes of make-up.

- 6:35PM SUN SETTING IN 20 MINUTES

We're going to lose our sun in 20 minutes

and we're waiting

for Priscilla's wig to get on.

You know, like hair and makeup, come to...

Well, she probably had

her baby and then stayed

in the hospital, I imagine,

for like two days.

And then as she's getting ready to leave,

done up.

a baby.

Great...

And action!

When the scene

where you're leaving the hospital,

got to imagine she's just given birth

and now she is going to get her wig

and her eyelashes on

and go face the public.

I think that's,

you know, one of those moments

that says so much without saying anything.

And then also the other side of that

was getting to recreate that iconic look.

And those were always fun moments,

very stressful moments

in terms with the hair and makeup

and costume departments leading up to it

but once we had done it,

you know, it was such a moment

of mini celebration like, wait this

is actually coming together, you know.

So those those were really satisfying

and fun to pull off.

- Cut! Okay, great.

- Got that. Thank you.

Shout out to her makeup and costumes.

Thank you for the hustle everybody.

Oh my God, we're all doing it.

- We can't help.

- This way Priscilla, this way!

sh**t DAY 28 - LUNCH

THE PUWABA CUP - PICKLEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Donny Dead-Ball

Bachman here for your

old pickleball finals

for the Puwaba Cup.

The word is right now

that you got through the games.

Yeah, that's what...

We tried so hard!

There you have it,

ladies and gentlemen.

I just want to say thank you

this is the best sh**t I've ever had.

And thank you for all

playing pickleball with me

for raising so much

and really for just supporting me.

And I'm really proud of our movie so far

and thank you really to everyone

for such a great job.

Thank you.

Officially!

INT: GRACELAND 1970

FAMILY PHOTOSHOOIt's touching that she

had the courage to leave

the only life that she knew and what was,

you know, supposed to be at

that time, like everything

you could want.

She had the kind of American dream

of having this life

that seemed perfect but, you know.

She had a lot of love for him

the way she talks about him

and that he had a lot of sweetness.

But also this dark side

that she talks about.

We had such a great sh**t.

I loved our team and the crew,

and it was fun to go to work every day.

But you're so exhausted by the end of it.

I think it was just a huge relief

that we got everything we needed

'cause it took 30 days to do so much.

The fact that we got everything

we needed to be able to edit them

together was a relief.

- We're sh**ting the...

- INT: GRACELAND - FINAL sh**t DAY

we're still leaving Graceland,

I love saying, we're saying

goodbye to Graceland as we all.

You know, she,

she never really felt in the movie.

I feel like she always felt

like a guest in the house.

So you can see her,

sort of her thought process

with very few words,

which I think Sofia does so beautifully.

You know, she she hangs

on these silent moments

or these simple shots of,

you know, this young girl

sort of wandering

this Graceland mansion by herself.

And it's so powerful.

INT: LAS VEGAS HOTEL ROOM

PRISCILLA LEAVES ELVIS

You know, he taught me a lot.

He was always there for me.

I can't, there isn't anything bad

about all of this I could even think up.

- He was a human being.

- Yeah.

And, you know, we all have flaws,

but it's hard to find out his.

- Yeah.

- Well, maybe with...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You're honest...

But thank you,

we're happy to know your story.

Thank you.

Maybe another place,

another time.

I think there are things I definitely

found relatable as I was prepping this.

So I'm really,

I'm really interested to see what people,

people think, but it changed me.

So I hope that it's moving

for other people.

- Cut.

- Cut there, thank you.

So a big announcement on set, guys.

Oh my God!

Elvis is going to officially

leave the building.

He's camera wrapped.

Thank you everyone,

I really appreciate you.

Now I can talk normally.

I assume it had to

take a lot of strength

because her whole

life even now is being,

you know, Mrs Elvis Presley

and for her to...

to be able to leave that,

I was impressed by it.

It's a question that I think

a lot of women ask themselves,

like, who am I outside of these

things, outside of my marriage

or the transition of leaving your parents

or maybe becoming a mother

or to get to see that journey up

to that point I think is fascinating

and also universal for women.

- You call it.

- Hold on.

You and Sofia have to walk together,

come on.

We did it guys!

All right, everybody,

put your hands together.

Here we go!

It's been a year

since I started this project.

I'm now 18 and I've moved

out of my childhood home.

Watching Priscilla's journey

really puts this all into perspective.

You know,

maybe we're not all that different.

And at the same time, worlds apart.

But her strength is inspiring.

And it's been a privilege

to watch Sofia tell her story.

A FILM BY LIV MCNEIL

ABOUT A FILM

BY SOFIA COPPOLA

ABOUT THE LIFE

OF PRISCILLA PRESLEY

STARRING

CAILEE SPAENY AND JACOB ELORDI

PRODUCED BY

LISA ANTONECCHIA

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

SOFIA COPPOLA YOUREE HENLEY

AN IMPORTANT FLOWERS PRODUCTION

VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO

AND ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AT A24 FOR

YOUR CONTINOUS ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT