Focus Features has wrapped production on The Bell Jar, its adaptation of the classic Sylvia Plath novel, and has confirmed a supporting cast that includes Danielle Deadwyler (Till) alongside stars Billie Eilish and Carey Mulligan.
Deadwyler joins the ensemble as Dr. Nolan, Esther Greenwood’s psychiatrist. She’s joined in the supporting cast by Dylan Hawco (Ice Cream Man) as Buddy Willard, Esther’s first boyfriend; Lili Taylor (Daredevil: Born Again) as Jay Cee, editor of Ladies’ Day magazine; Ella Beatty (Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story) as Joan, an old acquaintance who ends up at the same mental hospital as Esther; Maggie Kuntz (Broadway’s John Proctor Is the Villain) as Doreen, Esther’s best friend and fellow intern; Ike Barinholtz (The Studio) as Lenny, a wealthy New York radio host; and Connor Storrie (Heated Rivalry) as Marco, Esther’s blind date.
The Bell Jar is the only novel written by Plath, a semi-autobiographical work charting a young woman’s descent into mental illness amid the societal pressures placed on women in the 1950s. Originally published in 1963, the book paralleled Plath’s own experiences with depression, and the writer died by suicide just a month after its first UK publication. In the U.S., the novel became an instant bestseller and has since been translated into more than 40 languages, selling millions of copies worldwide and remaining continuously in print.
The film marks the feature acting debut of Eilish, a two-time Oscar and Grammy winning artist, who stars as Esther Greenwood, an aspiring young writer whose New York City magazine internship gives way to a psychological unraveling. Mulligan plays Esther’s mother, Mrs. Greenwood.
Sarah Polley directs from her own adapted screenplay, marking her first feature since winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking in 2023. The Bell Jar is produced by Plan B, Studiocanal and Joy Coalition, with Focus distributing. A release date has not yet been announced.
The novel has only been adapted for the screen once before, in a 1979 film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Marilyn Hassett as Esther Greenwood, released by Avco Embassy Pictures. That version was met with a largely critical response, with reviewers finding it difficult to translate Plath’s internal, poetic prose into a traditional cinematic format. Other attempts to bring the novel back to screen have stalled over the years, including versions once attached to Julia Stiles in 2007 and, around 2016, one that would have paired director Kirsten Dunst with star Dakota Fanning.