The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of her campus.
This article is written by a student writer from each campus of the GCU chapter.
With the new release of “Priscilla”, social media has created a war between Jacob Elordi fans and Austin Butler fans. The girls of GCU have spoken! After a poll posted on every campus GCU’s Instagram, it looks like Austin Butler is barely as popular as Elvis, receiving 53% of the vote. However, even though Butler is starring in the movie “Elvis,” it seems that the same audience of GCU voters prefer the new movie “Priscilla” to “Elvis.”
“Priscilla,” directed by Sofia Coppola, focuses on Priscilla Presley, her relationship with Elvis and how his lifestyle affected her. Despite the film being primarily about Priscilla, fans have focused heavily on Jacob Elordi’s performance as Elvis. Clips from the film have surfaced on social media, primarily TikTok, with comment sections either praising Elordi or comparing him to Austin Butler, who famously played Elvis in the movie “Elvis” last year. The war has started from here. Fans are either supporting Elordi or Butler’s portrayal of the famous superstar, creating memes, and ruthlessly taking over the comments section.
Jacob Elordi in “Priscilla”
Fans of Jacob Elordi’s performance are basing it largely on his Elvis voice. Clips on social media have praised him saying the phrase “Viva Las Vegas”, saying that he sounds similar to Elvis. Fans have criticized Austin Butler for this, because despite finishing 2020, he has famously been unable to completely shake his Elvis voice. Butler has also been Joker for method acting for three years, with memes highlighting the fact that he did so for most of those three years he did not meet his family and was basically preparing for the film. I devoted my whole life to Elvis. Elordi famously claimed that he learned about Elvis from Lilo and Stitch ate a lot of bacon To prepare for the role. Finally, Elordi fans claim that his Elvis voice is better than Butler’s, and like to point out that Elordi obviously put much less work into the role, but was still better than Butler. Elordi was reportedly given the role after Coppola reached out to the actor, saying that he wanted an actor who would naturally have the same effect as Elvis with women, and that he had noticed that fans liked Elordi. What kind of reaction had already been expressed towards.
Austin Butler in ‘Elvis’
Butler’s fans have plenty of evidence to support their version of Elvis. Following Butler’s performance, he was nominated for a Golden Globe and won Best Actor in a Drama. Ultimately, his portrayal of the King of Rock’n’Roll fits perfectly into Baz Luhrmann’s ambitious film vision. Fans praise him for his performance in the film, as he adopted Elvis’ famous dancing and hip shaking, and even mixed his voice with that of Elvis for the film. Butler clearly looks like Elvis in his film, and ultimately incorporates the singer’s swagger, body movements, and mannerisms throughout the film’s long run. Despite “Elvis” being released in June 2022, Butler’s voice has undergone a notable change since addressing the role of Elvis. Clips comparing his old voice to the way he talks now show that his voice has become deeper and sometimes still adopts Elvis’ southern drawl. Butler’s fans claim it shows his incredible commitment to the role, and like any accent, it’s hard to shake. Overall, Butler so successfully conveyed the heart-pounding characteristics of Elvis, social media and TikTok led to young women running to the theater, watching the film more than once, and becoming too stunned to speak after seeing Butler in the film. Adopted many trends.
In the end, the movies are about two completely different stories.
Both Elordi and Butler have become aware of the imaginary competition between them, with both artists showing nothing but support for each other. Elordi said of the issue, “I don’t know why people make art a blood sport.” “This is so absurd.” Similarly, Butler only showed support, “I just wish them the best.” It’s quite clear that both actors have no appetite for comparison in their portrayal of Elvis.
Worth noting are the general differences between the two films. At first, “Elvis” focuses on Elvis’s rise to fame and his unhealthy relationship with his controlling manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It highlights the ups and downs of her career, with Priscilla barely featured in the film. In this adaptation, Elvis is courageous and talented, showing a big personality and talent. The plot and message of this film is completely different from the new film “Priscilla”. As the title suggests, the films focus on two completely different people, with Priscilla being the star of the new film. “Priscilla” is intended to highlight the struggles of being a woman in that time period, as well as the losses she faced while being married to Elvis. In this film, the character of Elvis has taken a back seat, with the glamor largely ignored. It shows him in his usual manner, capable of emotional and physical abuse and creating an unhealthy life for his younger bride Priscilla.
Since these films show two completely different versions of Elvis, it is hard to compare the two actors, and fans should focus on the messages both films want to send.