Ella Beatty is in final talks to join Focus Features’ adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, according to Deadline. Filming is underway in Toronto.
Sarah Polley directs from her own screenplay. It is her first feature since Women Talking, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2023. Billie Eilish stars as Esther Greenwood, Plath’s semi-autobiographical protagonist, in what marks Eilish’s first feature film role. Carey Mulligan plays Esther’s mother. Connor Storrie is also among the cast.
Beatty’s specific role in the film has not been announced. She appeared in FX’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans and is set to play Lizzie Borden in the fourth installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Monster true-crime franchise for Netflix.
The Bell Jar was first published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, drawn from Plath’s own experiences with mental illness and recovery in 1950s New York. It remains among the most widely read American novels of the 20th century. A previous film adaptation appeared in 1979.
Focus Features has not announced a release date. A 2027 premiere is expected.
