The Challenge Faced by the Music Supervisor in Priscilla: Avoiding Songs by Elvis

Article Overview

Priscilla's music team made the controversial choice to exclude Elvis Presley songs from the biopic, resulting in an "out of period" music selection that is "very exciting."

The exclusion of Elvis songs in Priscilla enables the film to shift attention from Elvis himself to Priscilla as his former spouse, emphasizing her viewpoint. By opting out of Elvis music, Priscilla had to explore alternative cinematic methods to portray her perspective on Elvis, ultimately resulting in a wise choice and receiving excellent reviews.

Randall Poster, the head of Priscilla’s music team, sheds light on the controversial decision to exclude Elvis Presley songs from the film Priscilla. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the movie delves into the turbulent years of Priscilla Presley, the former wife of the iconic musician. Priscilla stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi.

Poster, the music supervisor for Priscilla, explains the challenging choice to omit any of Elvis's songs in the biopic about Priscilla Presley. According to Variety, Poster reveals that initially, they had anticipated including some of Elvis’s music, but unfortunately, they were unable to obtain the rights. However, this led to the selection of an "out of period" music collection that proved to be "very exciting." The soundtrack now includes songs that held significant meaning to Priscilla herself. Have a look at Poster's full statement below:

Being out of the period was an exhilarating experience. The music we chose was heavily influenced by Sofia's instincts, and some songs held great significance to Priscilla, which we discovered through her memoir and conversations with Sofia.

Initially, we had anticipated incorporating Elvis' music, but unfortunately, we didn't obtain any rights. In the end, I believe it worked out better, but for a period of time, it was quite stressful. Jacob's portrayal is incredibly convincing, and his attractiveness makes it easy to understand why Priscilla was involved. However, Elvis was such a remarkable performer and musician that without his music, it posed a challenge to capture that same romanticism in the film. It's important to acknowledge that it is their legacy and business, so it's understandable that they would be protective.

Why It Is Important That Priscilla Does Not Have Elvis Songs

Unlike Baz Luhrmann’s biopic spectacle Elvis, which heavily featured Elvis's songs throughout the extravagant scenes, Priscilla takes a different approach. Instead of focusing on the titular rock star, the film places its emphasis on Priscilla, Elvis's ex-wife.

By choosing not to include Elvis songs, Priscilla shifts the spotlight away from Elvis himself. While Elvis's presence is necessary to understand Priscilla's fascination with him, the film remains dedicated to exploring Priscilla's perspective. This presents a unique challenge for Priscilla, as it relies on other cinematic techniques to convey the idealized and potentially dangerous image of Elvis as seen through Priscilla's eyes.

Ultimately, Priscilla's choice to veer away from Elvis tunes was the right decision. Even if Presley's estate had been more lenient and permitted their use, Priscilla may have jeopardized her own perspective by recreating the extravagant Elvis Presley spectacle. It appears that this move has proven beneficial, as Priscilla is currently receiving exceptional reviews.

Source: Variety

Editor's P/S

As an enthusiastic fan, I have mixed feelings about the decision to exclude Elvis Presley songs from the Priscilla biopic. On the one hand, I understand the desire to focus on Priscilla's perspective and avoid being overshadowed by Elvis's music. On the other hand, I feel that the exclusion of his songs creates a disconnect from the real-life events depicted in the film.

Elvis Presley was an integral part of Priscilla's life, and his music played a significant role in their relationship. By omitting his songs, the film seems to downplay the impact that Elvis had on Priscilla's life and career. Additionally, the use of "out of period" music in the film feels disjointed and takes away from the authenticity of the story.