Elvis’ granddaughter films new movie at Graceland – some fans not happy

In June 2025, Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keough, released a short documentary that has surprised and even shocked some Elvis fans. Why? Because it was filmed entirely at Graceland.

The documentary short called “In Process: Riley Keough” is a 6-and-a-half-minute film of Riley explaining her creative process of writing. In the film, she discusses co-writing her mother, Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown. In the book, Riley wrote about her memories of visiting Graceland as a child and young adult with her mother and siblings. So, it was an obvious choice to film this new documentary at Graceland. 

Click here to watch the film on YouTube

The scenes in the documentary are filmed entirely in black and white. Riley and many other actors filmed scenes in virtually every room in the home, as well as on the grounds in the back of the house. 

This has caused a controversy for many Elvis fans who believe the home should be treated as a museum and left untouched for preservation. 

One fan wrote: “I was bothered to see these actor models all up on everything – was at Graceland last month and the reverence to all these rooms and places is astounding – so seeing these people on the couches and in the pool and actually pretend living is so crazy to me.”

The opening scene shows Riley and friends enjoying a picnic in the backyard of Graceland. Riley narrates the film. 

Many scenes seem to have hidden Elvis connections. For example, there is a single shot of Riley laying on the bed in Gladys and Vernon’s bedroom on the first floor. It is reminiscent of photos taken of Elvis Presley in 1956 on his bed (below on right).  

There are numerous scenes in different rooms on the first floor and basement of the Graceland mansion including the living room, the music room, the kitchen, the jungle room, and the pool room. There are also scenes on the grounds of Graceland including the swimming pool and in the back of the home, where we see Riley interacting with the horses.

One scene in the pool room in the basement caused anxiety among some fans. One fan commented: “Anybody else get a bit nervous when people were using the pool table? And drinking in the pool room too? I thought OMG what if they rip the pool table (even more) and what if they spill something.”

However, the majority of comments from fans are supportive of the film. They are excited to see Graceland being used as a real home, the same way Elvis and even Lisa used to use it. 

“It is Riley’s house, her mother left it to her, and she can do what she wants with it, when she wants to,” wrote one fan. “Lisa Marie herself threw parties in the house during the holidays.”

But the debate continued with another fan rejecting that sentiment by saying: “The pool table is the same pool table that Elvis actually played on and the tourists are told to not touch it to not further damage it. Everything in Graceland is an artifact that can’t be replaced.”

See more Elvis connections in the film and which rooms at Graceland were used in Riley’s film here:

The end of the film is so impactful. Riley is sitting on the floor of her great-grandparent’s bedroom on the first floor of the Graceland mansion. This is reminiscent of a photo shoot that Lisa Marie Presley did in 2012 in the same bedroom when she was promoting her album, Storm and Grace.

We see someone closing off the room with a velvet rope for the public tours. As people walk by, Riley is still sitting in the room.

“It was just a very human story set in an unusual place, but for me it’s the most usual place in the world,” Riley concludes.

This is not the first time Riley has filmed at Graceland. In December 2023, she produced and hosted the Christmas at Graceland special which aired on NBC. It featured multiple musicians performing Elvis songs at different locations at Graceland. However, only one song was performed inside the mansion. All the other performances were filmed either outside or other buildings on the Graceland property. 

The “In Process” film was shown at a special event for the Tribeca film festival on June 6, 2025 in New York City. Riley was joined by her production partner, writer and director Gina Gammell, and Australian-Chinese filmmaker, writer and producer Margaret Zhang. The discussion about challenges for women filmmakers was inspired by Through Her Lens: The Tribeca CHANEL Women’s Filmmaker Program. The mentorship program uplifts and develops emerging female filmmakers by providing them with invaluable industry support and funding for their projects.

Riley told Vanity Fair, quote, “As a woman, there is this pressure feeling of, ‘I can’t mess up. I can’t make a sh** movie.’ But I think that, for me, I can’t live like that,” she said. “I think that’s a great talent actually, to be able to be okay with failing, messing up, and not being perfect.”

Riley’s Graceland film is one of three short documentaries in this limited series that she and Gammell co-created and co-directed. 

You can watch the full documentary short on YouTube by clicking here.

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Watch: These four Lisa Marie Presley duets with her father, Elvis Presley, will make you cry

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