‘Priscilla’ budget was so “strained” Sofia Coppola considered raffle to raise money
It has been revealed that Priscilla, the new film directed by Sofia Coppola and produced by A24, had such a low budget that the director seriously considered raffling off a game of pickleball with its co-star Jacob Elordi.
Portraying Elvis Presley, Elordi supports lead actor Cailee Spaeny, who plays Priscilla Beaulieu, a teenager who meets the global superstar and would then go on to become his wife. Spaeny recently won ‘Best Actress’ at the Venice Film Festival, where Coppola’s new film premiered.
Despite its success, the budget was so “strained” that Coppola debated certain measures to secure funding for another day of shooting. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, she said, “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.'”
The sport, similar to tennis and badminton, uses a small paddle or racquet to hit a ball over a net. It can be played inside or outside. Inveted only in 1965, its popularity has grown exponentially. The sport was named the fastest-growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association and has been named the official sport of Washington state.
Unlike Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis film, Elvis, released last year with an $85 million budget and access to the musician’s catalogue, Coppola’s new movie had “less than $20m” and none of the music rights. Despite this disadvantage, the filmmakers finished the project, resulting in a film that Far Out‘s own Tom Leatham described as exploring “the nature of loneliness in affluence and isolation in the bright lights.”
The director confirmed that, luckily, the production wasn’t forced to auction off a sports game with Elordi, who previously gained international fame for his portrayal of Nate Jacobs in Euphoria. “We didn’t, but he was a good sport. He indulged me, even though he’s not an enthusiast. I think he associates it with, like, Malibu moms.”
Regarding her lead actor, Coppola explained how frequent collaborator Kirsten Dunst turned her on to Spaeny, having just worked with her on Alex Garland’s upcoming movie Civil War, also produced by A24. She told W magazine, “Kirsten is like a sister to me, and when she recommended Cailee, I paid attention.”
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