Summary

  • Priscilla focuses on Elvis' wife and explores their toxic relationship, depicting Elvis as a villain and Priscilla's desire to be her own person.
  • Jacob Elordi's voice in Priscilla appears more realistic and natural compared to Austin Butler's impression of Elvis, despite Butler's extensive vocal training.
  • While Elordi's portrayal of Elvis may outshine Butler's in some aspects, they are both unique performances that offer different perspectives on the iconic character.

Priscilla is the biopic about Elvis Presley's wife from Sofia Coppola, and Jacob Elordi already seems like a better Elvis than Austin Butler in one specific way. As the title alludes, the biopic focuses on Elvis's wife more than the King of Rock himself, and it explores the toxic relationship between the couple that most other media about them has often sidestepped. In the new movie, Elvis is depicted as a villain, throwing chairs at walls and trying to take control of Priscilla's whole look, even down to how much eye makeup she wears. Priscilla ultimately wants to be her own person.

Priscilla follows the 2022 hit Elvis, though they're completely different films with different approaches to the same real-life people. Where the Priscilla trailer showcases a harrowing drama, Elvis focused as much on the spectacle of Elvis Presley's life with some thrilling musical sequences. However, it's impossible not to compare the two, especially as their release dates are so close to each other (Elvis was released in July 2022 and Priscilla is out on November 3, 2023). The 2023 movie doesn't shy away from the facts that Baz Luhrmann's Elvis tried to hide, but there's one major comparison between the two movies, and that's Jacob Elordi and Austin Butler's voices.

Jacob Elordi's Elvis Voice Sounds Better Than Austin Butler's

Elvis and Priscilla walk through a crowd in Priscilla

Based on the Priscilla trailer, Jacob Elordi's voice already sounds better than Austin Butler's. Elordi's voice sounds more realistic, authentic, and natural compared to Butler's. Butler's Elvis voice sometimes felt like an impression of the King of Rock with all the "uh-huhs," though that still worked because of how intentionally theatrical and over-the-top Elvis is. Interestingly, while Elordi's voice sounds more natural, Butler spent two years in vocal training just to sound like Elvis. Ironically, Butler has been struggling to drop the Elvis accent (via Variety), and it was only eight months after Elvis' release when Butler finally started losing that accent.

Will Jacob Elordi's Elvis Be As Good As Austin Butler's Overall?

Elvis and Priscilla embrace on their wedding day in Priscilla

Priscilla isn't Elvis' movie and, in fact, Elvis is something of a villain in the film. The movie doesn't shy away from some dark facts, such as the Elvis and Priscilla age gap - Priscilla was just 14 years old when she met the 24-year-old King of Rock - and there are shots of the young girl learning in school to emphasize exactly that. Nevertheless, while there's no denying that Butler was great as Elvis Presley in the 2022 movie and totally deserved the Academy Award nomination, based on the trailer, Elordi's Elvis is already looking like he could be the better of the two 2020s on-screen Elvises.

Nevertheless, while Jacob Elordi might outdo Austin Butler in some instances, it's a completely different performance. Elordi doesn't have to perform in the same way that Butler did, and Elordi's performance is on a much smaller scale. Ultimately, they're both extremely different portrayals of the same character and while Elordi might excel in some dramatic areas, the Priscilla actor isn't required to commit to the role in the way that Butler did. There's plenty of room on the cinema landscape for two great Elvis performances.

Source: Variety