Sofia Coppola recalls learning about Baz Luhrmann's Elvis while developing Priscilla

Sofia Coppola has revealed how she reacted when she learned that Baz Luhrmann was making a movie about Elvis Presley when she was developing her film about Priscilla Presley.

The Lost in Translation filmmaker reached out to Elvis's ex-wife Priscilla about adapting her 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me, into a movie in early 2021 and after she got approval, she began developing the project.

During this time, Coppola learned that Moulin Rouge! director Luhrmann was making a big-budget biopic about the King of Rock and Roll. Instead of being disappointed by the release of a similar film, Coppola decided it was "even better" for audiences to see Elvis' story before watching it from Priscilla's point of view.

"I heard Baz was making a movie about Elvis. I was like, 'That's OK. That's even better, in a way, that people are looking at his story,'" she told The Hollywood Reporter. "He's so much in the culture always, but even more so now. It's interesting, then, to look at Priscilla's perspective."

Luhrmann's Elvis, starring Austin Butler in the title role and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla, was released in June 2022. It was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Actor and Best Picture, but did not win any.

During an interview with People in late 2022, Luhrmann revealed that he reached out to Coppola about her movie.

"All I did was reach out to her, we just had a quick hello. I just said good luck with it and can't wait to see it. But I'm available. If she's got any questions, I'm available," he said.

Coppola's Priscilla stars Cailee Spaeny as the titular character and Euphoria's Jacob Elordi as Elvis. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and will be released in cinemas in November.