Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” will serve as the 2023 New York Film Festival’s Centerpiece Selection this fall, marking the drama’s North American premiere. NYFF and Film at Lincoln Center announced Thursday that the Priscilla Presley biopic will screen at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Oct. 6.
Stepping back from pop culture’s singular focus on Elvis Presley, Coppola’s film centers on Priscilla Ann Wagner, Presley’s love and lone wife, from the point of view of the woman herself. Based on Priscilla’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me” (cowritten with Sandra Harmon), “Priscilla” follows the eponymous businesswoman’s life as a teenage army brat in West Germany, her whirlwind courtship with Elvis and her ultimate arrival at Graceland, the palatial estate where she was queen to the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. Starring Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and “Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi, the A24 production features cinematography by Philippe Le Sourd, costumes by Stacey Battat, editing by Sarah Flack and production design from Tamara Deverell. It also features original music by Phoenix.
“I am honored to be back at the New York Film Festival with my new film and to be telling Priscilla Presley’s story, the unseen side of a great American myth,” Coppola said in a statement. The filmmaker’s most recent film release, “On the Rocks,” starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones, had its world premiere at NYFF in 2020.
The 61st New York Film Festival runs from Sept. 29–Oct. 15. Its Main Slate selection committee is chaired by NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim and includes Florence Almozini, Justin Chang, K. Austin Collins and Rachel Rosen. In a statement, Lim said, “‘Priscilla’ is a culminating triumph for Sofia Coppola, a filmmaker with a singular gift for illuminating the interior lives of her characters. It’s a showcase for a pair of star-making performances and a work of tremendous empathy and emotional nuance. We are looking forward to welcoming Sofia back to the festival with one of her very best films.”
Passes for this year’s NYFF are available for purchase now. Single tickets go on sale Sept. 19 at 12 p.m. ET. Press and industry accreditation opens on July 31.
