Carey Mulligan Joins Billie Eilish In ‘The Bell Jar’ Helmed By Oscar-Winner Sarah Polley, Connor Storrie Rumored

We were very stoked on the news back in March that Billie Eilish was going to make her big acting debut in Sarah Polley‘s feature adaptation of Sylvia Plath‘s novel “The Bell Jar,” as Eilish has made her stamp on pulp culture with her albums, concert tours (the subject of a recent documentary co-directed by Eilish and James Cameron), and stunning music videos.

A big casting update is now hailing from Variety, as they reveal British actress Carey Mulligan (“Beef”) has taken a part opposite Eilish in “The Bell Jar,” which is helmed by Canadian actress turned acclaimed filmmaker Polley, who won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for her work on “Women Talking” (she also directed). The outlet added that Mulligan’s role will be that of Mrs. Greenwood, the mother of Eilish’s main protagonist, Esther Greenwood.

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After walking away with Oscar statues for her Best Original Songs for “No Time To Die” and Greta Gerwig‘s “Barbie,” Eilish pivoting to acting isn’t a hard stretch given that peers (all at various ages) like Taylor Swift, Charlie xcx, Janelle Monáe, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Selena Gomez have been able to dabble in both music and acting.

That’s not it, as they add that “Heated Rivalry” star Connor Storrie is rumored for a part as well. The American actor has been lining up a heap of high-profile projects after his acclaimed sports drama series turned into a ratings juggernaut for Crave/HBO Max. And let’s just say this is a rumor we totally believe, for what are hopefully obvious reasons.

Here is the official synopsis for the original Plath novel via Amazon:

Esther Greenwood is a beautiful and immensely talented young lady who dreams of being a great writer. As a college student, she traveled from Massachusetts to New York to work on a magazine for a month as a guest editor. While there, she is showered with fancy dinners and elite networking. Esther knew she should be having the time of her life, but something was wrong, and she felt deadened. Little did she know that this was the beginning of a clinical depression that would take all sense of life out of her. After a visit from a beloved professor, she starts to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Months of treatment later, Esther leaves the mental hospital in time to start college. She now knew that life would be a seesaw of good and bad days, and the bell jar could ring either with sadness or elation; she just needed to hear it jingle and practice what she learned. The Bell Jar is an intimate and uplifting narrative written with the expert stroke of the finest writers of the century, meant to make the reader feel supported and hopeful in their journey.

Of course, we suspect more high-profile names will be announced for the supporting cast, and we cannot wait to learn who else Polley will end up recruiting alongside Eilish and Mulligan, given the star-studded group of actresses that were enlisted for “Women Talking” (Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and Frances McDormand starring in that previous dramatic effort). “The Bell Jar” is going to be one to keep an eye on for the festival and awards season circuit.

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The pic is at Universal‘s prestige shingle, Focus Features, with Plan B, StudioCanal, and Joy Coalition producing it.