Apple Cancels Sofia Coppola's 'The Custom of the Country' Over 'Unlikeable' Protagonist

Coppola Criticizes Predominantly Male Executives for Not Understanding the Character, Moves on to Direct 'Priscilla'

Sofia Coppola's adaptation of 'The Custom of the Country' for Apple TV+ was cancelled due to Apple executives' disapproval of the 'unlikeable' female protagonist.
The series, which would have starred Florence Pugh, was set to be a five-episode series with a budget equivalent to five times that of Coppola's film 'Marie Antoinette'.
Coppola expressed frustration with the decision, comparing the character of Undine Spragg to Tony Soprano and criticizing the predominantly male Apple executives for not understanding the character.
The cancellation of the project led Coppola to direct 'Priscilla', a biopic based on the 1985 memoir 'Elvis and Me' by Priscilla Presley.
Coppola has voiced concerns about the difficulties of securing financing for projects, particularly for women in the industry, and the influence of 'straight men' in decision-making roles.