Naman Shrestha
Inspired by the 1985 memoir titled ‘Elvis and Me’ written by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon, ‘Priscilla’ is a biographical drama movie co-written and helmed by Sofia Coppola. The ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’ star Cailee Spaeny essays the role of Priscilla Beaulieu, an ordinary teenage woman who meets the meteoric rock-and-roll superstar, Elvis Presley, at a party, only to find out the unexpected man behind the curtain of all the glitz and glamor. Besides his energetic and famous persona on stage, Elvis turns out to be a vulnerable best friend, an exciting crush, and an understanding ally in loneliness, for Priscilla.
The unseen and unknown side of the loving courtship yet turbulent marriage between Elvis and Priscilla is brought to life through the latter’s eyes. Apart from Cailee, the biopic also features compelling performances from other cast members, including Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Domińczyk, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Luke Humphrey, and Lynne Griffin. Following the journey of the couple, the movie transports the audience to the era of rock-and-roll, especially that of Elvis Presley, and several interesting locations, including the superstar’s famous house — Graceland.
Priscilla Filming Locations
‘Priscilla’ was filmed in its entirety in Ontario, specifically in Toronto and Mississauga. According to reports, principal photography for the biopic got underway in late October 2022 and got wrapped up in over six weeks, around mid-December of the same year. Interestingly, the production also required costume-accurate pieces like the filmmaker’s previous period movies.
Toronto, Ontario
A major chunk of ‘Priscilla’ was lensed in and around the capital city of Ontario — Toronto. The scenes set in and around Elvis’ Graceland were mostly recorded in Toronto while Sofia Coppola and her team constructed several sets in the city. Almost every other aspect of Graceland was replicated by the production team with the living room being built to scale and the ceiling made a bit taller because of Jacob Elordi’s height.
During a conversation with ABC News in late October 2023, Coppola talked about her experience of shooting on the set of ‘Priscilla.’ She explained, “They were really building everything there and it was really fun to be working on a stage, almost like an old Hollywood studio, where the costume department was next to the props and the art department was building the Graceland gates. It’s sort of that movie magic.”
The Graceland set became more than just a filming stage as the cast and crew members used it for several other occasions. For instance, one night, Coppola and her kids made their way inside the set and celebrated her daughter’s 16th birthday in the dining room. Moreover, upon the conclusion of the production process, the entire crew celebrated the wrap with some champagne in the living room of the Graceland set.
Situated along Lake Ontario’s northwestern shore, Toronto is known for the world-class talents that it possesses. Besides actors, the city also consists of other specialists, such as make-up artists, designers, animators, writers, and so on, all of which make it a favorable filming site for different kinds of productions. Not to mention, the vast and versatile landscape of Toronto also plays a huge role in making the city one of the filmmakers’ favorites. Thus, it has hosted the production of a wide range of movies and TV shows over the years. Some of the notable ones include ‘Spotlight,’ ‘Molly’s Game,’ ‘Cinderella Man,’ ‘Gotti,’ and ‘Alias Grace.’
Mississauga, Ontario
Additional portions of ‘Priscilla’ were also taped in and around Mississauga AKA Toronto Township, which lies on the western shore of Lake Ontario. For instance, the filming unit took over the premise of the iconic Scooters Roller Palace at 2105 Royal Windsor Drive in the city of Mississauga. The 24,500-square-foot facility consists of an indoor roller skating rink with a terrazzo skating surface and provides a number of activities other than skating, such as an arcade room, private party rooms, table soccer, air hockey, and so on.
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