Billie Eilish in talks to make movie debut in ‘The Bell Jar’ adaptation by Oscar-winning filmmaker
Billie Eilish is close to finalizing the deal to star in a leading role in Sarah Polley's adaptation of Sylvia Plath's best-selling novel, 'The Bell Jar.' Deadline reported earlier in the day about Eilish and Polley’s involvement in the project. If Eilish signs on for the project, it will mark her feature film debut, as the 24-year-old musician has only acted in an episode of the Prime Video series 'Swarm' so far.
In addition to adapting the novel, Polley will also direct the film for Focus Features. In 2023, she won an Oscar for 'Best Adapted Screenplay' for her female-centric drama 'Women Talking,' which also earned a nod for 'Best Picture.'
Eilish has won an astounding 10 Grammy Awards and two Academy Awards for 'Best original Song' with her brother and music partner, Finneas O'Connell. Her first Oscar win came for the song 'No Time to Die' from the James Bond movie of the same name in 2022.
Furthermore, she bagged her second win two years later for 'What Was I Made For?' from 2023's blockbuster hit 'Barbie.' Her latest album, 'Hit Me Hard and Soft,' was released in May 2024 and featured the chart-topping single 'Birds of a Feather' and the hit single 'Wildflower.' It's unclear whether the 24-year-old musician, known for her soulful, introspective music, will write and perform songs for the project.
'The Bell Jar' is the only novel that was published during Plath's lifetime. She committed suicide at age 30, a month after the book's UK publication in 1963, but left an indelible mark on the literary world. The book follows college student Esther Greenwood's descent into mental illness after she starts working at a magazine in New York City.
The semi-autobiographical book parallels Plath’s own struggles with depression and is "one of the most profound character portraits of mental illness," as per the book's official description. "Grappling with themes of feminism, societal pressures, and ambition, this is a deep dive into a mind capable of so much being gradually reduced to so little."
'The Bell Jar' has only been adapted for the big screen once before in 1979. Larry Peerce directed the film, which featured Marilyn Hassett as Greenwood, but it was badly panned by critics and audiences alike. Over the decades, several A-listers, including Julia Stiles, Kirsten Dunst, and Dakota Fanning, have been linked to future film adaptations, but nothing has materialized. The untitled project is produced by Joy Gorman Wettels, Plan B Entertainment, and StudioCanal.
Gorman Wettels originated the project through her company, Joy Coalition, packaged it with Eilish and Polley, and got StudioCanal and Plan B on board. Focus Features is finalizing the deal to distribute the film in the U.S.
