Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers and the creator of Death Stranding working on the same project?
That wasn’t on our 2026 bingo card.
My Chemical Romance has released a new animated short film called Prelude to the End, featuring a surprisingly stacked voice cast.
And it’s exactly as strange as you might expect from the band behind The Black Parade.
A very unexpected cast.
The film was created in collaboration with visual artist Lauren Tsai and features Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, video-game creator Hideo Kojima and actor John C. McGinley.
But they’re not playing themselves.
The story follows Astrid, a student at a boarding school in New England where garbage seems to be taking over everything.
After losing her sketchbook, Astrid climbs into a garbage chute to retrieve it.
Instead, she finds herself in a bizarre world where forgotten ideas come to life.
Billie Eilish voices Astrid’s close friend, while Phoebe Bridgers plays her sister.
Hideo Kojima voices a character known as the Teacher.
Why is my chemical romance doing this?
The short arrives alongside celebrations marking 20 years of the band’s iconic album The Black Parade.
Known for turning music into elaborate fictional worlds, My Chemical Romance has always been interested in storytelling beyond ordinary songs and performances.
And Prelude to the End continues that tradition.
The film is also scheduled to screen during the band’s Hollywood Bowl concerts on October 30 and 31, the final nights of a special residency celebrating the album.
Music, Animation and video games in one place.
What makes this project particularly interesting is how many creative worlds it brings together.
Billie and Phoebe have their own musical identities. Kojima is known for making video games that often feel like movies.
And Lauren Tsai brings a distinctive illustration style to the project.
Together, they’ve created something that doesn’t fit neatly into one category.
It’s part animated film, part music-world storytelling and part surreal nightmare.
And somehow, everyone involved makes sense.
