My Chemical Romance has unveiled a short animated film ahead of their final two shows of their multi-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl.
As is typical with the band, My Chemical Romance fans have theories about what happens next and whether there are hidden messages within the film.
Prelude to The End is a nearly eight-minute animated film that follows a girl named Astrid, who appears to be in a mysterious school led by questionable characters. It has a dark tone similar to the presentation for The Black Parade album.
The project is a collaborative effort between My Chemical Romance and visual artist and actor Lauren Tsai. Fellow musicians Phoebe Bridgers and Billie Eilish are among the voice actors, along with Japanese video game producer Hideo Kojima.
WATCH: My Chemical Romance and Lauren Tsai, ‘Prelude to The End’
Here is a rundown of some of the more widely shared theories about what My Chemical Romance is up to this time.
Theory: My Chemical Romance Will Release ‘The Paper Kingdom’ Album
This theory arises nearly every time My Chemical Romance teases anything, as fans continue to wait for the band’s first new studio album since 2010. Here’s why this rumor is resurfacing.
It is believed that My Chemical Romance recorded an album in 2012 before the entire project was scrapped and the band broke up. The working title of the album was reportedly supposed to be The Paper Kingdom.
Fast forward to 2026, and the short film opens on a sign for a school called the Paper Academy, where the story takes place.
A bonus theory on Reddit attempted to connect the “academy” portion of the school’s name to The Umbrella Academy, a comic book created by My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way (which was later turned into a Netflix series). However, this seems unlikely since Way worked on that project separately from the band.
Theory: Tracklisting to a New My Chemical Romance Album is Hidden in Short Film
It’s hard not to consider a potential tracklist for a new album when you see numbered phrases appear on screen.
At the one-minute mark of Prelude to The End, we see a poster on the wall listing “the rules” of the Paper Academy. They are:
- Don’t Get Hurt
- No Delusions
- All Trash Is Taken Care Of
If this is indeed part of a tracklisting for a potential new MCR album, it is likely NOT going to be the long-awaited release of The Paper Kingdom. None of those song titles were present when a supposed copy of the album leaked online earlier this year.
Some fans on social media believe that these three potential titles from “the rules” poster are only the beginning of hidden song references in the short film. Additional posters appear later in the video with phrases that could potentially be interpreted as song titles.
Theory: My Chemical Romance Are Breaking Up Again
It seems odd to suggest that one video could hint at either a band releasing new music or potentially breaking up. But that reflects the level of ambiguity My Chemical Romance weaves into the breadcrumbs created for fans.
At around the six-minute mark of Prelude to The End, we see Astrid looking at a note on her wall that reads “an idea never forgets you.”
After watching the video, someone on Reddit found a screenshot of a letter Way posted for fans when My Chemical Romance first broke up in 2013. In that letter, Way states:
“My Chemical Romance is done. But it can never die. It is alive in me, in the guys and it is alive inside all of you. I always knew that, and I think you did too.
Because it is not a band – it is an idea.”
Some fans have started drawing parallels between the note in the video and Way’s mention of “idea” in his 2013 goodbye letter.
“Ugly sobbing right now. Brought me right back to where I was reading Gerard’s letter on my laptop in high school,” one fan on Reddit commented, which received over 300 upvotes. “So emotional and full of love for this band and this community.”
There’s a chance none of these theories will materialize, as My Chemical Romance may very well choose to keep their fans guessing. That just seems to be how they operate.
Their shows at the Hollywood Bowl tonight and Saturday should hopefully provide us with clearer insights. Tsai confirmed in an Instagram post that Prelude to The End will be played at both shows in Los Angeles.
Keep reading for a look at how we ranked every My Chemical Romance album. Will we finally have to update this after this weekend?
My Chemical Romance Albums Ranked Worst to Best
The emo giants have only released four albums, and they’re all great. But which one triumphs above the rest?
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
The 10 Best Emo-Prog Bands of All Time
These 10 bands are equally sentimental and sophisticated!
Gallery Credit: Jordan Blum
