My Chemical Romance Release Animated Short Film with Billie Eilish

My Chemical Romance have unveiled Prelude to the End, a seven-minute animated short film created in collaboration with visual artist Lauren Tsai. The project features an all-star voice cast, including Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, video game legend Hideo Kojima, and actor John C. McGinley. The film premiered online on October 29, coinciding with the 20th-anniversary reissue of the band’s iconic album The Black Parade, and will screen ahead of their final two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 30 and 31 as part of their ongoing The Black Parade tour celebrations.

A Dark, Dreamlike Story

Prelude to the End follows Astrid, a student at the eerie Paper Academy, a New England boarding school overrun with trash. After her sketchbook is confiscated by the school’s authoritarian faculty, Astrid tumbles down a garbage chute in search of it, entering a surreal world of forgotten ideas. The film blends stop-motion and hand-drawn animation, creating a visually striking contrast between the oppressive school setting and the uncanny realm Astrid discovers.

The short is set to the opening track of The Black Parade, “The End,” and incorporates a live recording of Pascal Dusapin’s Flying River, Violin Concerto, performed by the Utopia Orchestra. The story explores themes of creativity, repression, and self-expression—core motifs in My Chemical Romance’s discography. In a press release, the film is described as examining “the relationships we all hold with our creations, youth, and the unwavering determination to become and express our truth.”

An All-Star Voice Cast

The film’s voice cast is a major draw for fans. Phoebe Bridgers lends her voice to Astrid’s sister, while Billie Eilish plays Astrid’s close friend. Hideo Kojima, best known as the creator of the Metal Gear Solid video game series, voices The Teacher, and actor John C. McGinley (Scrubs, Platoon) portrays The Dean, the school’s imposing authority figure. Tsai herself voices Astrid, the film’s protagonist.

For Tsai, the collaboration is a full-circle moment. As a child, she created animated fan videos for My Chemical Romance’s music. Her previous work, The Dying World Part One: Forgetting, debuted at the 2025 Annecy Film Festival and later became a multimedia installation. She also directed the music video for boygenius’ 2023 single “Cool About It,” further cementing her connection to the band’s creative circle.

A Celebration of *The Black Parade

The release of Prelude to the End is part of My Chemical Romance’s ongoing 20th-anniversary celebrations for The Black Parade, an album widely regarded as a defining work in the emo and alternative rock genres. The band has spent the past two years performing the album in full during sold-out stadium shows across the U.S. and internationally. Their five-night residency at the Hollywood Bowl, which concludes on October 31, has been a highlight of the tour, with the final two shows featuring screenings of the short film.

After Los Angeles, the band will continue their The Black Parade tour in Asia, with the next stop in South Korea on November 7. Fans who missed the Hollywood Bowl shows can still catch the band on the road, though tickets for many dates have sold out.

Why It Matters to Fans

For longtime My Chemical Romance fans, Prelude to the End is more than just a short film—it’s an expansion of the band’s mythos. The Paper Academy setting has sparked speculation about connections to The Paper Kingdom, an unfinished album the band was working on before their 2013 hiatus. Whether intentional or not, the reference adds another layer of intrigue for fans dissecting the film’s details.

The collaboration with Tsai also highlights the band’s influence on a new generation of artists. Tsai’s childhood fan videos and her current work with My Chemical Romance underscore the lasting impact of The Black Parade on creative minds. For Bridgers and Eilish, both of whom have cited the band as an inspiration, their involvement in the project feels like a natural extension of their own artistic journeys.

How to Watch

Prelude to the End is available to stream online. Fans attending the Hollywood Bowl shows on October 30 or 31 will have the opportunity to see the film on the big screen before the concert. For those unable to attend, the short offers a chance to experience My Chemical Romance’s storytelling in a new, immersive format—one that bridges the gap between music, animation, and cinema.