‘Priscilla’ Budget Was So ‘Low’ That Sofia Coppola Debated Raffling a Jacob Elordi Pickleball Game to ‘Raise Money for One More Day of Shooting’

Sofia Coppola told the Wall Street Journal that her Priscilla budget was so strained at times that she thought of raffling off a pickleball game with her star Jacob Elordi in order to raise funds for additional shooting days. Euphoria alum Elordi plays Elvis Presley in the film opposite Cailee Spaeny in the title role. Spaeny won best actress honors at the Venice Film Festival for her performance.

He can play pickleball, Coppola said of Elordi. Our budget was always strained, low budget, and I was like, I wonder if I could raffle off a pickleball game with Jacob to raise money to get one more day of shooting. We didnt, but he was a good sport. He indulged me, even though hes not an enthusiast. I think he associates it with, like, Malibu moms.

As for Spaeny, Coppola recently told W magazinethat it was her longtime muse Kirsten Dunst that put the new actor on her radar. Dunst worked with Spaeny in Alex Garlands upcoming A24 movie Civil War.

Kirsten is like a sister to me, and when she recommended Cailee, I paid attention, Coppola said, adding that she offered the role of Priscilla Presley to Spaeny during their first meeting together over breakfast.

Priscilla earned glowing reviews out of Venice. Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman hailed the film as piercingly authentic, adding, Coppola tells this story with open eyes, so that were caught up, for a while, in the otherworldly entrancement of what it would mean to have the biggest star on the planet choose you to be his princess. He wrote of Elordis turn as Elvis: He doesnt look all that much like him. Yet his louche body language is perfect, and what he does with Elviss voice brings him closer to being a dead ringer than Austin Butler was.

Priscilla is set to open in theaters Nov. 3 from A24.