Billie Eilish Takes Lead Role in ‘The Bell Jar’ Film Adaptation Directed by Sarah Polley

Billie Eilish is shooting her first major movie. She'll star in The Bell Jar, based on Sylvia Plath's 1963 book. Sarah Polley directs. On Aug. 3, photos surfaced from the Toronto set, revealing the 24-year-old musician dressed as Esther Greenwood, according to People.

The snapshots captured her in a red shirt, a checkered skirt, red shoes, and red lipstick. Her hair was dyed light brown and swept to one side. 

Carey Mulligan will portray Mrs. Greenwood, Esther's mother, and Connor Storrie will play Buddy Willard. The studio hasn't confirmed any casting yet.

The 10-time GRAMMY winner had a part in Amazon's 2023 series, Swarm, but this marks her first lead turn in a theatrical film.

Fans erupted with reactions after seeing the photos. According to ARY News, someone wrote, "SHE IS GORGEOUSSSSS," while someone else chimed in, "She certainly looks the part. I'm now intrigued."

Plath's book centers on Esther Greenwood, a college student wrestling with mental health struggles during her internship at a magazine. The story shows a young woman buckling under stress, societal demands, and the weight of ambition as depression takes hold. Plath crafted the bell jar as a symbol. It represents suffocation, entrapment, and isolation.

The book first appeared under Plath's pseudonym, Victoria Lucas. Three years passed before it was republished under her real name. Plath took her own life at 30, just one month after the initial publication.

Cameras started rolling in Toronto on June 29. Shooting will finish in early September, and the studio targets a 2027 release. However, no specific date has been chosen yet.