An upcoming A24 movie that already has plenty of people excited is Priscilla, telling the story of Pricilla Presley’s relationship with The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself. Playing the famed Graceland resident is Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, who – based on the trailer – has got the role down with that baritone voice and his super tall stature like The King. Believe it or not, though, the only thing Elordi knew about Elvis Presley before he got the role was based on what he saw in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch and I’m also in the same boat.
Jacob Elordi may not have been a diehard Elvis fan when he got the role in the Sofia Coppola flick, but while talking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Australian actor thanked Lilo and Stitch for his prior Elvis knowledge. He said:
The most I knew of Elvis was in Lilo & Stitch … which is a lot, by the way.
This is one thing that Jacob Elordi and I have in common. I, too, was introduced to Elvis Presley when I was ten through one of the best movies of the 2000s: Lilo and Stitch. One of my cousins would play Elvis music in her house and every car ride, and when I asked her where her fascination with Elvis came from, she told me through a new Disney movie she couldn’t stop watching.
Through the unlikely friendship of an outcast girl and a blue alien, Lilo teaches her new pet about the power of Elvis in order to help him become a “model citizen.” We see him personify the “Hound Dog” singer by dressing, moving, and playing the ukulele like him. This animated Disney movie was a great way to introduce young kids to the man who was loved by the masses from the ‘50s to the ‘70s.
Interestingly enough, according to Vulture, Lilo and Stitch’s co-director Dean DeBlois revealed he didn’t even know if he could get the licensing for Elvis Presley’s music. Luckily, the movie was granted by Presley’s estate to use his music. The Oklahoman says the sci-fi animated dramedy even went down in history as the first to feature Elvis music the chart-topper wasn’t in.
It made a lot of sense to use Presley’s music in Lilo and Stitch as it would further show what an outcast Lilo was by listening to older music little girls her age didn’t normally listen to. Certain songs represented the emotions of a scene like “Heartbreak Hotel” when Lilo was sad at home alone after a bad day at school and “Stuck On You” when Lilo and her budding alien pal were getting to know each other.
Another reason why Elvis Presley’s music belonged in Lilo and Stitch is because Presley made three movies set in Hawaii. He starred in Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Girls! Girls! Girls!, and Blue Hawaii in the “Aloha State” and performed two major concerts there. The soundtrack for the memorable animated movie features five of his songs with two of them covered by Wynonna Judd and A-Teens. There’s even a real photo of Elvis featured in the movie! The animated classic did a great job of tributing the rockabilly singer. You can watch more of Jacob Elordi’s interview about his experiences playing The King in Priscilla down below:
Jacob Elordi and I both have to thank Lilo and Stitch for introducing us to Elvis Presley’s music and the incredible impact the singer/actor had on the world. You can watch Lilo and Stitch now on your Disney+ subscription and get ready for the 2023 movie release of Priscilla in theaters now.