Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish may soon step into the world of feature films. The musician is currently in discussions to make her big-screen acting debut in an adaptation of The Bell Jar, which will be written by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sarah Polley.
Polley, who won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking, is set to write the screenplay for the project. The film is being developed by Focus Features, with production partners Plan B Entertainment and StudioCanal.
Producer Joy Gorman Wettels, whose credits include the television series Little House on the Prairie and 13 Reasons Why first initiated the project through her company, Joy Coalition. She later assembled the team by bringing Polley and Eilish on board before partnering with Plan B and StudioCanal to move the adaptation forward.
Originally published in 1963, The Bell Jar follows Esther Greenwood, a college student who lands an internship at a magazine in New York but gradually struggles with her mental health. The novel by Sylvia Plath remains one of the most influential literary explorations of depression and identity.
While Eilish is widely known for her music career, this project would mark her first lead role in a feature film. The singer has already achieved significant recognition in cinema through her music, winning two Academy Awards — first for the theme song 'No Time to Die' from No Time to Die, and later for 'What Was I Made For?' from Barbie.
A 10-time Grammy winner, Eilish most recently released the album Hit Me Hard and Soft, which features the popular singles Birds of a Feather and Wildflower.
Although primarily known as a musician, she has previously ventured into acting with a role in the Prime Video series Swarm and also served as host of a 2021 episode of Saturday Night Live.
