Now, come one, come all…and watch this new stop-motion animated short film from My Chemical Romance and Lauren Tsai. Titled “Prelude to the End,” Tsai helmed the over six-minute short for MCR, most of which is set to the band’s opening track to The Black Parade, “The End.” The short was released in celebration of The Black Parade‘s 20th anniversary.
‘Prelude to the End’
The visuals for “Prelude to the End” are actually from Tsai’s 2025 short film, The Dying World Part One: Forgetting. The official synopsis is as follows: “Astrid lives torn between two worlds: a boundless, sterile office and a desolate blue realm composed of trash she struggles to recollect. When she finds a door to her childhood bedroom, she feeds what’s left of it to her only friend, Crow, who wonders how much longer she can live in these fragmented realities.”
The short shows Astrid at a school called Paper Academy. Naturally, this got MCR fans in a tizzy. Could this be a cheeky nod to The Paper Kingdom, the rock band’s unreleased album that was intended as the fifth in their discography? It’s a fun reference all the same.
A Star-Studded Cast
In addition to the stunning animation, “Prelude to the End” boasts an impressive voice cast. Tsai, who you might recognize as Sunny in the Bill Lawrence comedy Rooster, voices Astrid. Tsai’s Rooster co-star John C. McGinley (also known as Dr. Cox from Scrubs) lends his talents to The Dean. Meanwhile, Billie Eilish voices Astrid’s friend, Phoebe Bridgers is Astrid’s sister, and Hideo Kojima is her teacher.
“Prelude to the End” will be shown at My Chemical Romance’s Hollywood Bowl tour dates on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, as part of the Long Live The Black Parade tour.
There’s also some music buzz around My Chemical Romance of late—The Black Parade could climb to the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart, a feat it hasn’t accomplished yet. However, the band’s reissue of their most commercially successful record could peak at No. 1 next week.
Whether “Prelude to the End” is merely a delightful addition to The Black Parade anniversary festivities, a tease of the highly anticipated MCR5, or both remains to be seen. Regardless, check out the gorgeous stop-motion short below.
