Netflix Quietly Removes Biopic Exploring the Darker Side of Elvis Presley
While the recent success of Michael and the highly publicized upcoming four-part Beatles cinematic event has renewed interest in musician biopics, Netflix has opted to remove a critically acclaimed 2023 biopic, Priscilla, following Elvis Presley's controversial relationship with his former wife, Priscilla Presley (née Wagner/Beaulieu).
Per its official logline, the A24 film begins "When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend." Inspired by her biography, Elvis & Me, the Priscilla-produced, Sofia Coppola-directed film details the businesswoman and actress's relationship with the music icon. The pair first met when Elvis was stationed in West Germany for military service, at the age of 24, when Priscilla was a 14-year-old schoolgirl. The two later married when Priscilla was 21 years old, and had a daughter together, the late musician Lisa Marie Presley.
"Through Priscilla's eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla's long courtship and turbulent marriage," the logline continues, "from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame."
Led by an award-winning performance by Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Presley, Priscilla won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in 2023, with Spaeny also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress (Drama). While acclaimed, the indie film was not without controversy, with subsequent reporting later revealing that Lisa Marie clashed with her mother over the depiction of their relationship, with the former branding the script "vengeful and contemptuous" in one email (via Variety).
Priscilla is certainly a different take on the musical superstar than the Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis biopic released the previous year, with which Priscilla conversed with the filmmaker over during production, praising the final product. Viewers may see the smaller-budget biopic as an alternate narrative or even a companion piece to Elvis, offering another side to the story away from the glitz and glamour of the traditional Elvis story.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 3:57 PM.