My Chemical Romance and Lauren Tsai release animated film Prelude to the End

American band My Chemical Romance has released an animated short film titled Prelude to the End, created in collaboration with visual artist and actress Lauren Tsai. The film, which runs approximately seven minutes, was released following the 20th anniversary reissue of the band’s album The Black Parade.

Directed by Tsai through her independent studio, UNREAL INC., the film utilizes stop-motion and hand-drawn animation. It serves as a continuation of Tsai’s project, The Dying World, following a character named Astrid who navigates a trash-overwhelmed boarding school in New England. The narrative is set to the music of the song The End, which opens the original 2006 album.

The voice cast includes Lauren Tsai as Astrid, Billie Eilish as Astrid’s friend, and Phoebe Bridgers as her sister. Additionally, video game creator Hideo Kojima voices The Teacher, and actor John C. McGinley portrays The Dean. The production also features a live recording of a violin concerto by Pascal Dusapin.