First “Wuthering Heights”, now “The Bell Jar”. According to Deadline, the alt-pop superstar Billie Eilish is in talks to star as Esther Greenwood in a film adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s best-seller semi-autobiographical novel, “The Bell Jar”. After performing on stages across the globe and selling millions of albums worldwide, the singer is ready to bring her talents to the big screen.
In fact, Eilish is no stranger to the film business. She has co-written the songs for “Barbie” and contributed “What Was I Made For?” to the soundtrack for the film, which has won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 2024. She also won the award for Best Original Song at the 2022 Oscars for “No Time To Die”. Eilish is notably the youngest two-time Oscar winner and the youngest Oscar winner born in the 21st century.
She has also been on TV, having previously appeared in an episode of “Swarm”, a Prime Video TV series about an unhinged pop stan. “The Bell Jar” would mark her film acting debut and her first leading role. The film adaptation will be directed by Canadian filmmaker, actor, writer, and producer Sarah Polley, who has helmed only four films: “Stories We Tell”, “Away From Her”, “Take This Waltz”, and “Women Talking”.
Originally published in 1963, “The Bell Jar” follows Esther Greenwood, a young woman who seems to have a bright future but gradually descends into depression. As she contends with societal expectations, personal identity, and the pressure to succeed, Esther experiences profound isolation and suffocation, as if trapped under a metaphorical bell jar.
