My Chemical Romance released an animated short film called "Prelude to the End" featuring voice performances by Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eilish, Hideo Kojima, and actor John C. McGinley. The collaboration with visual artist Lauren Tsai incorporates the Black Parade track "The End."
The film follows Astrid, a girl at a New England boarding school covered in trash. After falling down a garbage chute searching for her sketchbook, she enters an uncanny realm where old ideas come to life. Bridgers voices Astrid's sister, while Eilish voices Astrid's close friend. Kojima plays the Teacher, and McGinley plays the Dean.
The short includes a live recording of Pascal Dusapin's Flying River, Violin Concerto performed by Utopia Orchestra and conducted by Giuseppe Mengoli.
My Chemical Romance will screen the film at Hollywood Bowl shows on October 30 and 31. These dates mark the final two nights of the band's five-night residency at the Los Angeles venue, part of their tour celebrating The Black Parade's 20th anniversary. The tour kicked off last year, and the band performed the album in full at When We Were Young in 2024.