The My Chemical Romance animated film Prelude to The End features voice contributions from Billie Eilish and Phoebe Bridgers in a new collaboration directed by artist Lauren Tsai. Released October 29, the nine-minute short combines Tsai’s animated storytelling with music from The Black Parade ahead of two Hollywood Bowl concerts.
Key Takeaways
- My Chemical Romance released Prelude to The End on October 29, 2026, as part of its 20th-anniversary activities for The Black Parade
- Billie Eilish voices Astrid’s friend, while Phoebe Bridgers plays her sister
- Lauren Tsai directed the film and produced it through her independent studio, UNREAL INC.
- Hideo Kojima and John C. McGinley also contribute voices to the nine-minute production
- The film is scheduled to screen before My Chemical Romance’s October 30 and 31 Hollywood Bowl concerts
My Chemical Romance has released an animated short film featuring Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers and a supporting voice cast drawn from music, gaming and television. Titled Prelude to The End, the project expands a fictional setting created by visual artist Lauren Tsai while incorporating music from the band’s 2006 album The Black Parade.
The October 29 release follows the album’s 20th-anniversary reissue and precedes the band’s final two Hollywood Bowl performances. Unlike a conventional music video centered on the musicians, the short follows an original animated character whose story was established before the collaboration.
Billie Eilish and Phoebe Bridgers Join the Animated Voice Cast
Billie Eilish and Phoebe Bridgers appear in Prelude to The End as characters connected to Astrid, the film’s central figure. Eilish voices a close friend, while Bridgers portrays Astrid’s sister. Their contributions are voice performances rather than newly recorded musical collaborations with My Chemical Romance.
Tsai voices Astrid herself, giving the film’s director a central acting role. Video game creator Hideo Kojima portrays the Teacher, while John C. McGinley, known for playing Dr. Perry Cox in Scrubs, voices the Dean, an authority figure at the fictional Paper Academy.
For Eilish, the appearance adds another screen credit to a year that included the release of a Billie Eilish concert film co-directed with James Cameron. The concert production documents performances from her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour, while Prelude to The End places her in a supporting role within an animated narrative.
Bridgers also has an established creative connection with Tsai. In 2023, the artist directed the animated music video for “Cool About It” by boygenius, the trio featuring Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Their latest collaboration places Bridgers in front of the microphone as a voice actor rather than behind an original recording for the film.
The announced credits do not establish Eilish or Bridgers as performers at My Chemical Romance’s Hollywood Bowl concerts. Their participation is tied to the animated production, which the band plans to screen ahead of the shows.
Lauren Tsai Builds the Story Around The Dying World
The My Chemical Romance animated film follows Astrid through a New England boarding school known as the Paper Academy. The school has become overwhelmed by discarded material, creating an environment in which the character’s drawings and personal belongings become central to the story.
When school authorities throw away Astrid’s cherished sketchbook, she follows it down a garbage chute. The fall carries her into an unfamiliar setting populated by forgotten ideas, continuing the narrative introduced through Tsai’s earlier creative project, The Dying World.
That existing project provides the film’s characters, setting and central conflict. Tsai first presented The Dying World as a short film at the 2025 Annecy animation festival before developing it further through an installation at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Tsai has described My Chemical Romance as an influence on her early artistic development. She grew up making animated fan videos set to the band’s songs, years before becoming professionally involved with its anniversary project.
“It was an absolute dream to work on this project for The Black Parade and The Dying World,” Tsai said in a statement accompanying the release.
The filmmaker also acknowledged Gerard Way’s creative work and described the collaboration as an opportunity to connect two independently developed fictional settings. Her studio, UNREAL INC., produced the short, with Tsai serving as director and lead voice performer.
The Black Parade Soundtrack Shapes the Animated Film
The short incorporates “The End.,” the opening track from The Black Parade, linking Astrid’s story to My Chemical Romance’s 2006 album. The music accompanies imagery from The Dying World rather than introducing a newly recorded single from the band.
The production also includes a live recording of Pascal Dusapin’s Flying River, Violin Concerto. Violinist Daniel Lozakovich performs with Utopia Orchestra under conductor Giuseppe Mengoli in a recording made at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
These musical selections serve different roles within the animated story. My Chemical Romance’s recording establishes the connection to The Black Parade, while the orchestral performance supplies additional music for the film’s narrative sequences.
The project also draws on visual techniques associated with surrealist music video storytelling, particularly through its unusual settings and animated representations of ideas. However, Prelude to The End follows a defined fictional character rather than presenting the band performing its music.
The anniversary connection is also reflected in the timing of the release. Reprise Records issued The Black Parade (20th Anniversary) on October 23, adding six bonus tracks to the original album.
The expanded collection includes three B-sides and three live performances recorded in 2007 at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey. Among the live selections is “Someone Out There Loves You,” a song previously performed by the band but not included in an official release in that form.
Hollywood Bowl Screenings Close the Band’s Five-Show Engagement
My Chemical Romance is scheduled to screen Prelude to The End ahead of its Hollywood Bowl concerts on Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31. The two performances complete the band’s five-show engagement at the Los Angeles venue during its 2026 anniversary tour.
The Hollywood Bowl lists the October 30 concert for 7 p.m. Pacific Time, with the Used also appearing on the bill. The date is billed as “Devil’s Night,” while the following performance takes place on Halloween.
The screenings will introduce the animated project to concert audiences shortly after its online release. The band’s October 21, 23 and 24 appearances preceded the final two dates, which were added to its 2026 schedule.
The anniversary performances center on The Black Parade, which originally appeared in October 2006. The 2026 concerts follow the album’s expanded reissue, placing both the recorded material and the new animated collaboration within the same anniversary period.
Prelude to The End became available through My Chemical Romance’s official YouTube channel on October 29. The online release allows viewers to watch the nine-minute production independently of the scheduled Hollywood Bowl screenings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the My Chemical Romance animated film?
The My Chemical Romance animated film Prelude to The End is a nine-minute short directed by Lauren Tsai. Released October 29, 2026, it combines characters from The Dying World with music from The Black Parade.
What characters do Billie Eilish and Phoebe Bridgers play?
Billie Eilish voices a close friend of the protagonist, Astrid, while Phoebe Bridgers plays her sister. Lauren Tsai voices Astrid, with Hideo Kojima and John C. McGinley also contributing to the cast.
Where can viewers watch Prelude to The End?
The film is available through My Chemical Romance’s official YouTube channel. It is also scheduled to screen before the band’s Hollywood Bowl concerts on October 30 and 31, 2026.
Is Billie Eilish performing with My Chemical Romance?
Billie Eilish is credited as a voice actor in the animated film. Her involvement does not confirm a live performance with My Chemical Romance, and no such appearance was included in the verified concert announcements.
Which My Chemical Romance song appears in the film?
The short incorporates “The End.,” the opening track from the band’s 2006 album The Black Parade. It also features a live performance of Pascal Dusapin’s Flying River, Violin Concerto.
