I watched Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla over the holidays and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Coppola really did a great job with the material (Priscilla Presley’s memoir) and she made a really good movie on a small budget and she got fantastic performances out of the two leads, Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi. Sofia has been quite open about the constraints she faces when working with small budgets, and her struggles to get any kind of financing. The fact that Priscilla looked like it had a great costuming and set design budget is a credit to Coppola and her team. I bring this up because Coppola recently spoke to the New Yorker about how AppleTV+ canceled her dream project, a miniseries based on Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country, because of the budget and because the male executives found the female lead “unlikeable.”
Sofia Coppola continues to shed light on her unrealized adaptation of Edith Wharton’s “The Custom of the Country,” which she was developing as a five-episode series for Apple TV+. In a new interview with the New Yorker, it’s revealed for the first time that Coppola had cast Oscar nominee Florence Pugh to star in the lead role of Undine Spragg, a Midwestern girl who attempts to ascend in New York City society.
News broke in May 2020 that Sofia Coppola was partnering with Apple TV+ on “The Custom of the Country.” By the end of 2021, the project was killed.
“They pulled our funding,” Coppola said. “It’s a real drag. I thought they had endless resources.”
Coppola’s series was not going to come cheap. Her most expensive film was 2006’s “Marie Antoinette,” which had a production budget of $45 million. The director said she was planning “Custom” to be “five ‘Marie Antoinettes.’”
“They didn’t get the character of Undine,” Coppola said of Apple executives, who she described as “mostly dudes.” “She’s so ‘unlikable.’ But so is Tony Soprano! … It was like a relationship that you know you probably should’ve gotten out of a while ago.”
Coppola previously told The New York Times that Apple execs did not want to spend the money on her five-hour adaptation due to issues they had with the main character. “The idea of an unlikable woman wasn’t their thing,” Coppola said at the time. “But that’s what I’m saying about who’s in charge.”
“The people in charge of giving money are usually straight men, still,” she said in her Times interview. “There’s always people in lower levels who are like myself, but then the bosses have a certain sensibility … If it’s so hard for me to get financing as an established person, I worry about younger women starting out. It’s surprising that it’s still a struggle.”
While I’ve never read The Custom of the Country, it sounds like William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, with a focus on the “social climbing” Becky Sharp. Still, Wharton’s books have been adapted to the screen several times already (to mixed results) and it does feel like this would have been the kind of ideal project for a streamer with unlimited funds. AppleTV throws all kinds of money on all kinds of weird sh-t. I’ve still never met one single person who watched one episode of Foundation. No one talks about For All Mankind (which is apparently a good show, but again, barely anyone watches it). The “unlikeable female lead” complaint is so gross as well.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
-
- Berlin – Premiere PRISCILLA im Delphi Kino Sofia Coppola im Interview Berlin – Premiere PRISCILLA im Delphi Kino Berlin *** Berlin Premiere PRISCILLA at the Delphi Cinema Sofia Coppola in an interview Berlin Premiere PRISCILLA at the Delphi Cinema Berlin Copyright: xEventpressxFuhrx,Image: 829368632, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Eventpress Fuhr / Avalon
-
- Sofia Coppola bei der Premiere des Kinofilms Priscilla im Delphi Filmpalast. Berlin, 13.12.2023 *** Sofia Coppola at the premiere of the movie Priscilla at the Delphi Filmpalast Berlin, 13 12 2023 Foto:xA.xBuggex/xFuturexImagex priscilla_3213,Image: 829407010, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Anita Bugge / Avalon
-
- Sofia Coppola bei der Premiere des Kinofilms Priscilla im Delphi Filmpalast. Berlin, 13.12.2023 *** Sofia Coppola at the premiere of the movie Priscilla at the Delphi Filmpalast Berlin, 13 12 2023 Foto:xA.xBuggex/xFuturexImagex priscilla_3211,Image: 829407043, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Anita Bugge / Avalon
I’ve always kind of considered her a “stay in her lane” nepo baby (extremely talented of course). I really admire how vocal she’s been about this issue recently.
What an absolute drag to know that sure, established studios are stuffy and conservative and don’t support diversity, but streaming services with buckets of money for original content are ALSO shutting out talent with slightly non-mainstream ideas? So depressing!!!!
They don’t have buckets of money. They never did. They just spent like that. Because the CEO’s all believed the mantra. You have to spend money to make money. So they threw money at everything. Thinking that would do the trick. Or a big name was all that was needed. Well guess what. It didn’t. And now for all those CEO’s to keep their huge salaries. They have to cut back on what they spend. It’s not just happening in the entertainment industry either.
Really disappointing. Meanwhile, HBO and Jodie Foster have raised the bar on “an unlikeable woman” (except I love Danvers!!)
Danvers isn’t unlikable, tho? I mean she is written as an unlikebale person, but there’s a charm to her, so she’s a compelling co-lead. It is art to manage to write a character like that.
And Apple TV already has an unlikable female heroine in Galadriel. They threw billions into that series. So there is no excuse for them cancelling Coppola.
Are you talking about Rings of Power? That’s on Amazon, not Apple.
That rings of power is SO bad.
Galadriel is a terrible character! What were they thinking?!
Amazon originals are all pretty terrible.
I think there’s a gender disparity in how Danvers is perceived. Her cultural insensitivity sucks, but otherwise I feel like she was written as a composite of all the traits we’ve seen in male cops over the years. She isn’t violent and doesn’t drink much, but she’s a hardass who sleeps with “anyone who doesn’t run fast enough.” I think the reason Danvers and Navarro are written as primarily straight (except for the tryst they obviously had with each other) is to depict women in flipped power dynamics with men.
I saw a hilarious thread of men complaining there’s “too much sex” in the show. 🤦♀️
There are plenty good-to-great Amazon originals. Miss Maisel, The Boys, Invinicible, the Wheel of Time… But I agree, Rings of Power was dreadful–so, so boring!
I can’t remember what got me watching season 4 of True Detective, probably the inclusion of Jodie Foster. I remember thinking she is not unlike Mare of Easttown, but grittier. And I am HOOKED! It’s dark and gritty and a fascinating fictional look at the lives of people in the far reaches of Alaska. Jodie Foster is a treasure and makes everything she touches better.
It was a perfect storm for me. I love ice mysteries and Jodie Foster. It’s like they wrote this season to my specs. I’m obsessed with it!
I know several people who watch Foundation and love it, lol – we just haven’t gotten around to it. And For All Mankind is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen on TV, especially the first two seasons. But I feel like in general for some reason Apple TV shows just don’t generate a lot of buzz, besides Ted Lasso. I saw a quote on twitter that was something like – Apple TV has the best shows out right now but they’ll be damned if they want anyone to find out about them. A lot of their shows I only know about because we see the preview while watching OTHER Apple shows (like Masters of the Air.) It’s weird how Apple just….spends millions and millions on making these series and then there is very little advertising or fanfare.
That said – it’s been a while since I’ve read Wharton, but I feel like unlikeable female leads are kind of her thing, right? I don’t think her books are known as being feel good romances or something, she’s not Austen. again, its been years since I’ve read one of her books, but I went through a big Wharton phase in late high school/early college.
I think Apple TV is probably looking for the next Bridgerton, but those books were so different – they were written as light, feel good romances. So the adaptation is going to reflect that, but they are probably looking for that kind of period piece (which is not going to be Wharton), while also greenlighting every sci fi series they can, because they (the apple bros) “get” sci-fi movies, but not Wharton.
I am not saying that every and any woman is automatically going to “get” Wharton, but I feel like having more women make decisions may result in more series that appeal to women. And we’ve seen time and time again that women WANT programming that appeals to them, and it doesn’t just have to be light and fluffy.
Bottom line after all that early morning rambling – more women in positions of power in the entertainment industry would result in a wider variety of shows that women like, including period pieces (not every period piece has to be Bridgerton or Austen). And if someone like Sofia Coppola has trouble getting things made with her track record of quality, then I feel like female newcomers are really facing an uphill battle even in 2024.
Try Slow Horses and Blackbird – two of the best series I’ve watched in years. Both on Apple.
Black Bird is great. I feel like Slow Horses doesn’t really find its groove until the middle of season 2, but it’s worth sticking with. Apple+ is my treadmill channel.
Foundation is great! I’ve already watched it twice. However, word is that the budget for Foundation is being re-evaulated and that has put a hopefully temporary stop on the production.
I never heard of anyone who watched it. However, Foundation has been put on hold indefinitely, so it could be cancelled too in the end.
Apple presumably made a choice between Sophia’s show and another Edith Wharton book adaptation, The Buccaneers, which, whatever the original book is like, is very Bridgerton in tone and style. They probably felt it was a more commercial show.
Ugh I lasted twenty minutes on Buccaneers. It’s overly twee, just like Bridgerton. I can slog through the dryest PBS adaptations but these glossy streamer series just lose something.
The Buccaneers show is just AWFUL!
I stuck with it and ended up enjoying The Buccaneers despite it so obviously trying to be another Bridgerton (which I couldn’t stomach at all) and the terrible flipflopping character development of the main girl. Maybe Sofia can go over to HBO/Max as they have money to throw on costume dramas as The Gilded Age is pretty successful.
As for Apple, did anyone see Bad Sisters? That had the worst, most unlikeable main MALE character. And I recommend sticking with Slow Horses…it’s a hoot. But again, another extemely unlikable male main character.
I try not to be too puritanical, but that Buccaneers is making her turn over in her grave.
I’m not an expert on adaptations, but I wrote my thesis on Edith Wharton’s female characters…let’s just say that the recent “Buccaneers” is very loosely based on the (unfinished) book. It wasn’t great, and I wish they weren’t doing a second season, but it shouldn’t stop a “Custom of the Country” miniseries. Undine is a social striver, very focused on her goals, and you kind of have to admire her chutzpah for her time, even if she isn’t particularly “likable.” Florence Pugh was great casting and I hope someone still finds a way to make this happen.
“Apple TV has the best shows out right now but they’ll be damned if they want anyone to find out about them.”
@Becks1, part of it is Apple’s refusal to let those without Apple products watch their shows. They make it sound like Apple+ is available on all devices but NOPE.
I binge a lot of shows on my android phone. There is no AppleTV, Apple+ anything that is available for Android devices. The ONLY option is to watch **on the BROWSER of your phone** which….
I can’t begin to say how much it sucks. I got into “For All Mankind” recently and tried everything to find a way. Finally gave up and did the browser-watch thing. Androids let you change all settings to whatever you want so removed screen time outs, locked screen position, etc etc. It was still murder, I kept getting logged out, screen kept minimizing, just very irritating.
Anyway, yeah, they create these great shows but automatically reduce the pool of viewers. And shit like this makes ornery cranks like me double down on never getting an over priced iPhone. I’m the perfect target audience for “Foundation” but I found the hassle so off-putting, I’m done.
Lurker85, I got a 3-month free trial with AppleTV and it was so impossible to watch anything (I’ve no Apple devices) that I stopped trying after a week.
I have no experience with Android, but we do watch Apple TV on our roku devices. we only have one actual Apple TV device, and besides that we just use that app on the roku or another smart TV.
AppleTV really does have the best shows out right now IMO. We just finished Lessons in Chemistry with Brie Larson and Aja Naomi King and it was excellent!
We enjoyed Foundation season 1, but as seems the case a lot, season 2 is not doing it.
All mankind, we didn’t even get through 1 episode.
Masters is ok, but every episode is the same. They fly around. We get it.
Severance! Now that was a phenomenal series. Can’t wait for season 2, hopefully it defies traditional & is just as phenomenal as season 1.
I’ve told a lot of people give “For All Mankind” 3 episodes, if you aren’t on board after that, then walk away.
Also, “Silo” was a phenomenal season of TV
Ok, ill give it another try, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it lol
Thanks
For All Mankind is a good show. The alt timeline created has a lot of changes happening the Brads and Chads wouldn’t like, but it’s something my husband and I enjoyed watching together. Lots of strong women in leadership roles and an interesting perspective of what might have been.
I have to admit, when a young boy says he grew up “wanting to be like her” – I choked back tears.
It was such a gut punch to realize we NEVER hear that. We never hear genuine admiration of women by men, especially boys. Admiration for achievement (as in this fictional case), not for having a great body or being a good mother, or self-sacrificing spouse or whatever man-focused role this culture finds appropriate for women.
The subtle shift that leads to a more egalitarian view of women is amazing.
Mmh, I don’t know. I don’t like the vibe I’m getting from “I thought they had endless resources”, and if it was going to be as expensive as “5 Marie Antoinette”, then I could see why there would be additional scrutiny for that project. To me it sounds like she had a story she cared about, was maybe a bit naive in thinking that streamers would just throw whatever money she was asking for at it, and things would get done. Which, in my personal opinion, comes across as rather entitled, and I’m not convinced about the “they found the main female character unlikable” line. Could be indeed true, or could be something else. You can’t just show up with a massively expensive project and just assume buy-in.
I felt the same. When I read that I was like, barf. If this line came from a guy I’d call it a wank fest. That’s a LOT of money to spend and not get a full season out of it. I haven’t read Wharton, but what you’re saying is there’s a girl who is kind of bitchy and she’s trying to move up the ranks of society and you want to spend HOW MUCH and I don’t even get a full season? Yeah pass. For logic reasons.
For All Mankind is amazing. AMAZING. And the show that I haven’t seen anybody talk about but lives rent free in my head forever is ROAR. Hardcore feminist, based on the book of feminist essays, and each episode is standalone. Kinda weird, very metaphorical but I hardcore loved it. The Woman On The Shelf was incredible, The Woman Who Dated A Duck I found relatable, and The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder was lighthearted and funny and still showed how men need to rely on women even when they are invisible, and they not only get the credit but fail upward. I’m watching Severence now and it is quirky and amazing and instantly quotable.
Thanks for the tip Doodle. I’ve started watching ROAR on Apple TV+. A series based on “fiercely feminist short story collection” (Amazon description of book) by Cecelia Ahern sounds like it’s right up my alley.
Sofia Coppola doesn’t come off sounding very bright here – if Apple TV+ truly had “endless resources” to throw at every film maker out there who asks for it, why would your project stand out against all the competition engendered by “endless resources” thrown to everyone? Especially love nepo-baby’s so-called concern: “I worry about younger women starting out.” Oh, really? This post reminded me of NYT reviewer Emily Yoshida’s meh response to ‘Priscilla’ and all of SC’s other “sad girls” on film whose ability to change is limited to changing their costumes.
I can see where male executives felt threat: poor widdle boys with money who just want another Bridgerton. Waaaaaah. Undine is not a compassionate or likable female- hence why she is so fascinating over a century later.
She is learning the social castes, elements of status then using them all, though she is seen as a mere trophy, to scale the ladder and come out admired under those materialistic standards even to the detriment of the family unit and the old money “rules”
Undine is seen solely as a beautiful trophy- never a human being and is far from a traditional gender based role of dutiful daughter, wife, mother or socialite. She is a sociopath in jewels.
If you liked Succession, Dangerous Liasons this book is Golden Age New York in that vein. She is beautiful but not at all moral or traditionally romantic, self sacrificing martyred female lead or villain who is defeated as moral example.
It’s a great book and courageous even today- Ms Coppola would be the ideal to render this!!
From your description I know I need to read this book!
I’m sick and tired of costume dramas about women trying to get married. And if you add a main character like Undine, who is shallow, venal, useless, of limited intelligence and no creativity – then, that’s a big no.
I haven’t read this book, but I’m laughing because your description of her and @Kinchicago’s description right above are so different LOLOL.
Funny, isn’t it? We’ve had some lively discussions about this in my book groups. There are so many novels about women either scheming for marriage or drooping for love – ack! At this point, we’ve all agreed to disagree.
Edith Wharton is amazing.
But hey let’s have more superhero crap (and then shelve that too for tax reasons).
Undine Spragg (the initials are not a coincidence) is one of the great antiheroines of literature AND she is also (unintentionally) hilarious. This could have been a great dramedy/satire but I think the network execs were too dumb to understand the social rules that Undine blunders through. Apple Plus will embrace the farts of of the disgusting yet brilliant Jackson Lamb (Slow Horses) but can’t handle Undine. Sigh.
NOOOO. This is one of Wharton’s comic masterpieces. It’s so acerbic and epic. Undine Spragg is someone you love to hate. She’s the original of Bertha Russell of The Gilded Age.
My husband, son and I all watch Foundation. I initially felt iffy about Isaac Asimov’s attitudes toward women, but David Goyer put all those to rest with some amazing casting. Once I started watching, I realized Lee Pace had been in “Halt and Catch Fire” which I loved.
I really can’t get onboard with Jacob Elordi – the guy gives me the arrogant guy creeps (outside of his acting).
Count me in among the people who have watched “Foundation”. I also LOVELOVELOVE “For All Mankind”. I inhaled the first three seasons to catch up and have turned three other people onto this show. Being a geek. all the good sci-fi on Apple TV+ is great but Coppola’s series sounds interesting and it’s disappointing to read that the executives there don’t have the brains to see the potential in her proposed series.