Billie Eilish Eyeing Movie Acting Debut in ‘The Bell Jar’

The two-time Oscar-winning songwriter, Billie Eilish, is in talks to make her acting movie debut in an adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s classic novel The Bell Jar.

Deadline reports that Oscar-Winner Sarah Polley (Women Talking, Away From Her) is attached to direct the adaptation, which Focus Features is closing a deal to distribute in the US. With the feature being produced by Joy Gormon Wettels (Little House on the Prairie, 13 Reasons Why), Plan B Entertainment, and StudioCanal. The project originated from Gormon Wettels’ company, Joy Coalition, packaging the project with Eilish and Folley, with Folley writing the script.

The announcement follows Eilish‘s highly praised acting debut in the 2023 prime original series Swarm, co-created by Donald Glover. When hosting Saturday Night Live, Eilish said in her monologue, “I used to say that I hated acting, but the truth is, when I was little, I loved it! My Mom and Dad were both actors. So is my brother, Finneas. And it was my dream to be in a movie“.

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The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel written by American writer and poet Sylvia Plath. It follows a young girl’s descent into mental illness and the burden of societal pressures. The protagonist’s story mirrored Plath‘s own experiences with depression, and a month after the book was published in the UK, she tragically died from suicide. The book instantly became a best-seller in the US and has become a known classic. Eilish is set to play the lead role of Esther Greenwood.

The novel was previously adapted in 1979, starring Marilyn Hassett, but received negative reviews. In 2007, Julia Stiles was set to star in an adaptation that didn’t come to pass. Similarly, a decade later, Kirsten Dunst was set to direct a version with Dakota Fanning, but it never came to fruition. It was later reported in 2019 that Showtime was going to develop a series with Frankie Shaw, which was also later abandoned.

This year will also see Eilish’s big screen debut with the theatrical release of her concert film Hit Me Hard and Soft, a 3D Concert Documentary directed by James Cameron.