Euphoria star saw Elvis as “stunted little boy” to play him for Priscilla movie

Fresh out of Venice Film Festival, Sofia Coppola’s latest film Priscilla is already making waves, with Euphoria star Jacob Elordi starring as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

The biopic drama examines the marriage between Elvis and Priscilla Presley during their earlier years, with the movie taking on the story entirely from Priscilla’s perspective.

While critics’ reviews about the film were mixed, Priscilla received a seven-minute standing ovation from its audience after its world premiere at Venice Film Festival.

Though the Elvis estate hasn’t been too thrilled with the film’s release, Priscilla has had the individual backing of Presley herself – including Elordi’s portrayal of her former husband.

Jacob Elordi looked differently at Elvis to play him in Priscilla

During a pre-strike interview with Associated Press, Elordi explained that he looked at Elvis differently so he could play the King in Priscilla.

“I think because he’s kind of this godlike figure and he’s larger than life, the most interesting thing to me was finding this little boy in him – because he’s kind of stunted because he became so massive, sort of so quickly,” he commented.

“He’s just stunted as this little boy. That’s what I tried to keep in mind the whole time – that this is a real person who came from somewhere, you know, from parents – just like everyone, which sounds silly but when you think about it, you think of him as this ginormous presence.”

Elordi hasn’t been the only figure commenting on the impact with Priscilla, after Presley was invited to speak during the film’s pre-screening panel. Though she initially declined the request, Presley made an emotional and heartfelt speech once passed the microphone.

“It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love. Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times, and I really put everything out for her that I could,” she explained.

Priscilla will premiere in cinemas on October 7, 2023. Check out more of our movies & TV content here.