{
  "id": 17228589,
  "title": "My Chemical Romance Tap Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers as Voices in Emotional Animated Short ‘Prelude to the End’: Watch",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/my-chemical-romance-tap-billie-eilish-phoebe-bridgers-as-voices-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-30T13:25:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/my-chemical-romance-billie-eilish-phoebe-bridgers-prelude-to-end-1236370924/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "My Chemical Romance are commemorating the 20th anniversary of their influential album, The Black Parade, with a striking animated short film called Prelude to the End. The stop-motion and hand-drawn animation, directed by visual artist Lauren Tsai, features an impressive voice cast including Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eilish, Hideo Kojima, and John C. McGinley. Astrid, voiced by Tsai, is a student at the strict Paper Academy who embarks on a journey after her sketchbook is confiscated by the headmaster. Along the way, she finds support from her sister and friend, but faces challenges from a Japanese teacher and the dean of the school. The film delves into themes of creativity, youth, and determination to express one's truth, tying in with My Chemical Romance's discography. Tsai, who has previously directed animated videos for Boygenius, expressed her excitement to collaborate with the band on this project. The film also includes a live recording of Pascal Dusapin's Violin Concerto, performed by the Utopia Orchestra. With My Chemical Romance enjoying renewed success from their recent stadium tours, the animated short will premiere before their final dates at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.",
  "summary": "The visually stunning 7-minute film from visual artist Lauren Tsai also features voice work from Hideo Kojima and John C. McGinley.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Pitchfork",
        "title": "Phoebe Bridgers and Billie Eilish Are in My Chemical Romance’s New Short Film",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/phoebe-bridgers-and-billie-eilish-are-in-my-chemical-romances-new",
        "published": "2026-10-30T00:28:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Consequence",
        "title": "My Chemical Romance Release Short Film Prelude to The End Featuring Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, and More: Watch",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/my-chemical-romance-release-short-film-prelude-to-the-end-featuring",
        "published": "2026-10-30T00:39:35.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Rolling Stone",
        "title": "Watch My Chemical Romance and Lauren Tsai’s Otherworldly Short Film Featuring Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/watch-my-chemical-romance-and-lauren-tsais-otherworldly-short-film",
        "published": "2026-10-30T04:05:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Polygon",
        "title": "My Chemical Romance and Lauren Tsai Team Up for Short Movie Featuring Hideo Kojima",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/my-chemical-romance-and-lauren-tsai-team-up-for-short-movie-featuring",
        "published": "2026-10-30T11:20:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Stereogum",
        "title": "My Chemical Romance Release Prelude To The End Short Film Voiced By Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eilish, & More",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/my-chemical-romance-release-prelude-to-the-end-short-film-voiced-by",
        "published": "2026-10-30T13:55:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}