Billie Eilish eyes movie debut in adaptation of cult Sylvia Plath novel

Pop sensation Billie Eilish is set to make her movie debut in an adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s renowned semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar.

According to the Hollywood newsletter The InSneider, the 10-time Grammy winning artist is in advanced talks for the lead role of Esther Greenwood. Oscar-winning director Sarah Polley, best known for critically acclaimed films like Women Talking, is set to write and direct the feature.

The Bell Jar, Plath’s only novel, was first released in the UK a month before her suicide in 1963 at the age of 30. The novel chronicles the mental breakdown, hospitalisation and recovery of a young woman in the 1950s, exploring themes of gender-based pressures and the isolating experience of mental illness. Over three million copies of the novel have been sold globally, and it remains a mainstay in school curricula.

This film would mark Eilish’s first movie role, following a brief acting turn in the 2023 television series The Swarm. She appeared in one episode of the show, which was co-created by Donald Glover, as a manipulative, soft-spoken leader of a female empowerment cult. And later this year, she will make her feature directing debut alongside James Cameron with the concert film Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D).

“I used to say that I hated acting,” Eilish said in a Saturday Night Live monologue in 2021. “But the truth is, when I was little, I loved it. My mum and dad were both actors. So is my brother, Finneas. And it was my dream to be in a movie.”

The deal is still being finalised, with Focus Features looking to back and distribute the film in the United States.

Eilish – a pop star revered for her dark, edgier aesthetic and introspective, soulful lyrics – appears perfect for the role of Greenwood, a tortured yet brilliant poet. And though no plans have been released regarding the film’s potential score, Eilish’s musical talent could also prove helpful.

A previous film adaptation of The Bell Jar, which came out in 1979 starring Marilyn Hassett as the lead, did not receive glowing reviews. There have since been various attempts to adapt the novel for both film and television, including a 2007 version starring Julia Stiles and a Kirsten Dunst-directed project with Dakota Fanning. However, both failed to launch.

At just 24, Eilish is already a multi-Grammy winning artist, best known for songs including Birds of a Feather and Bad Guy. She has won two Oscars for best original song, for the James Bond No Time to Die soundtrack and the Barbie soundtrack. In 2024, she officially became the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history.

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