Billie Eilish Eyes Film-Acting Breakthrough With ‘The Bell Jar’ Movie

Billie Eilish might be headed from the concert stage straight into one of literature’s most iconic roles.

The two-time Oscar-winning and ten-time Grammy-winning singer is reportedly in advanced talks to star as main character, Esther Greenwood in a new film adaption of The Bell Jar, the 1963 novel by Sylvia Plath. If the deal closes, the project would mark Eilish’s first major feature film role.

The movie is set to be directed by Oscar winner Sarah Polley, the filmmaker behind Women Talking and Away From Her. Focus Features is expected to back and distribute the film in the United States. The screenplay will also be written by Polley.

Producers include Joy Gorman Wettels, whose past projects include 13 Reasons Why and Little House on the Prairie, alongside Plan B Entertainment and StudioCanal. Wettels reportedly developed the project through her company Joy Coalition before brining the creative team together.

Plath’s The Bell Jar follows college student Esther Greenwood as she grapples with identity, ambition, and depression while navigating life in 1950s America. The semi-autobiographical novel is Plath’s only book-length work of fiction and has remained a cultural touchstone for generations of readers, despite some of its outdated problematic content.

For Eilish, the role could feel surprisingly natural. The singer has built a career on introspective music that often touches on mental health, vulnerability and isolation—themes that sit at the heart of Plath’s novel.

While the 23 year old musician is best known for her music career, she’s dipped into performance before. She appeared in Donald Glover’s horror series, Swarm and has hosted Saturday Night Live at just 19 years old, earning praise for her comedic timing and on-screen presence. Eilish has also spoken in interviews about wanting to pursue acting more seriously.

Fans online are already buzzing about the potential casting, with many saying the artist’s melancholic aesthetic and emotinal depth make her an ideal fit for Esther.

IF BILLIE IS ESTHER THATS ACTUALLYHUGE SHES A MAIN CHARACTER

— kas🎸 (@punkrockeilish) March 11, 2026

Eilish’s creative schedule is already packed. Later this year, she’s also set to make her theatrical debut in a tour film connected to her recent shows, co-directing with Oscar-winning Canadian filmmaker, James Cameron—known for his innovative use of technology in movies like Avatar.

If the movie deal moves forward, it would place Eilish at the center of a long-awaited adaption. Several attempts to bring the novel back to the screen have stalled over the years, including projects once linked to Julia Stiles, Kirsten Dunst and Dakota Fanning.

Now, Polley directing and Eilish potentially stepping into Esther’s shoes, the classic story may finally be getting its next chapter on screen.