Priscilla movie: Lisa Marie Presley 'accused' Sofia Coppola's script of painting Elvis as a 'predator'

Lisa Marie Presley reportedly accused Sofia Coppola of depicting Elvis Presley as “a predator” in the script for her 2023 bio-drama, Priscilla. Lisa - who died in January - labelled the script “shockingly vengeful and contemptuous”, according to emails obtained by Variety.

Four months prior to her death earlier this year, Presley asked Coppola to reconsider her depiction of her father to spare her family 'public embarrassment', Variety reports. Priscilla is a biopic based on the 1985 memoir 'Elvis and Me', which depicts Elvis' courtship of Priscilla - notably when Priscilla was 14 and Elvis was 24.

“My father only comes across as a predator and manipulative," Lisa Marie Presley wrote in one of the two emails. "As his daughter, I don’t read this and see any of my father in this character. I don’t read this and see my mother’s perspective of my father. I read this and see your shockingly vengeful and contemptuous perspective and I don’t understand why? I will be forced to be in a position where I will have to openly say how I feel about the film and go against you, my mother and this film publicly.”

Presley reportedly reached out to Coppola before production had begun on the A24 film - which credits Priscilla as an executive producer. The film premiered on October 27 on limited release in the US but is expected to see an international launch in January 2024.

In one of the emails, Presley questioned whether her mother understands Coppola's 'intentions behind the film' and says she feels 'protective' over her. Coppola responded to the exchange at the time, which was made available to Variety through the director's representative.

“I hope that when you see the final film you will feel differently, and understand I’m taking great care in honoring your mother, while also presenting your father with sensitivity and complexity,” wrote Coppola. 

Lisa - who was the only child of Elvis Presley - died at the age of 54 from complications caused by bariatric surgery she’d previously undergone. She is survived by her three children, Riley, Harper and Finley.