Sofia Coppola Tried to Get Lana Del Rey on the 'Priscilla' Soundtrack: 'Didn't Work Out with the Timing' (original) (raw)

Sofia Coppola; Lana Del Rey. Photo:

Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty; Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty

Ever since she debuted with a bouffant hairstyle and cat eye eyeliner, and sang, “Elvis is my daddy,” on her 2012 song “Body Electric,” Lana Del Rey made it clear she is a devout fan of Elvis and Priscilla Presley.

Now, as filmmaker Sofia Coppola releases her biopic about The King’s wife, Priscilla, she revealed in a new interview with E! News that the songstress, 38, was nearly featured on the soundtrack.

“We were hoping she could do a song for it, but it didn’t work out with the timing,” the writer/director, 52, told the outlet in an on-camera interview.

Lana Del Rey performing in Paris in July 2023.

Kristy Sparow/Getty

She explained that during the making of the film based on Priscilla’s memoir Elvis and Me, out now in theaters nationwide, that she became aware of many fans’ connection between the Grammy-nominated singer and the pop culture icon. Coppola shared, “I’m learning that people really connect Lana Del Rey and Priscilla and I didn’t realize that, but I got a lot of requests with, ‘How is she gonna be a part of the movie?’”

The Oscar winner added that she even “invited her to the premiere,” even though she couldn’t make it. “I’m excited for her to see it,” the filmmaker added.

The movie starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi notably doesn’t feature music from the rock ‘n’ roll legend, as its usage was denied by his estate. Rather, the soundtrack compiled by music supervisor Randall Poster and the French indie band Phoenix (fronted by Coppola’s husband Thomas Mars) is pieced together with largely pop music from the ‘50s and ‘80s, as well as some contemporary additions from indie stars like Porches.

Throughout her career, the “Video Games” singer has made nods to Priscilla, 78, primarily through her style. Upon the 2012 release of her debut album Born to Die, the performer frequently styled her hair and makeup similar to the fashion icon, and often still does in live performances. On the cover of her 2017 album Lust for Life, too, she wore daisies in her hair and a late ‘60s-era dress, as if imitating a style previously worn by the actress. (That look is in fact replicated in the film.)

Many fans of the alternative star expressed being heartbroken at the news that she nearly appeared on the soundtrack.

Lana Del Rey in Beverly Hills in 2016.

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

“This is the worst day of my life,” one user on X (formerly known as Twitter) replied to a post about the news.

“lana could’ve won an oscar for an original song from Priscilla but she wanna work shifts at waffle house…,” another posted, referring to the internet-famous photos of the star picking up a shift at an Alabama diner from over the summer.

A fan also chimed in, “a loss for the culture… lana would have fit so well on the soundtrack of priscilla.”

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In the past, Priscilla herself has shared that she admires the “Let the Light In” singer.

When Baz Luhrmann was in the midst of filming the Austin Butler-starring biopic Elvis, The Blast asked her in 2019 what she thought of how much Del Rey resembles her.

“I like Lana,” she said.