While she may have been dismayed by the script for “Priscilla,” Lisa Marie Presley wholeheartedly supported another Elvis-related biopic, Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.” Presley and her mother alike seemed to be very proud of the finished product and not only appeared at the film’s premiere but did promotional work for it. Presley even said that Austin Butler deserved an Oscar for playing her father on her Twitter account. “In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully,” she said, also praising Luhrmann for his respect and care in making the film.
In her emails to Sofia Coppola, Presley describes the film as “[A] break from suffering and a ray of light that hit us last year […] it made [my twin daughters] so proud and honored to be his granddaughters. It made them feel blessed for a moment and less cursed in life. It made us all so proud because it was a true depiction of who he really was.” In the wake of the death of Presley’s son, Benjamin, in 2020 and a custody battle for her daughters with her fourth husband, Presley saw “Elvis” as a positive, joyful moment and proof that her father’s story could be brought to the screen with taste and class.
Audiences can judge for themselves by streaming “Elvis” and seeing “Priscilla,” which is now in theatres.
