Recommendations of the Editorial team
Billie Eilish was already in the middle of the Hit Me Hard and Soft tour when James Cameron approached her with an offer to turn the show into a 3D concert film. The answer was “of course a clear yes” says the musician in an exclusive featurette for “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” out May 8th.
The film was shot during four consecutive concert nights in Manchester in July 2025. At this point, Eilish had already completed almost 80 shows on the tour, which began in September 2024. Their setlist – a mix of songs from “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” “Happier Than Ever,” “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” and other publications from her entire career – that was clear. She knew them inside and out, and for a moment she worried that cameras on stage would compromise the integrity of the show.
“We had a long creative meeting. It was very collaborative, I kept pushing her to do things that were outside her comfort zone, for sure,” says Cameron. But when asked about a camera on stage, Eilish replied: “Absolutely not. I don’t want to change the show.” According to Cameron, it took him six months “to convince her that intimacy was so much more powerful in 3D.”
Equal co-direction
What helped was that Eilish was brought in as co-director – which allowed her to retain control and say over the final product, from the performance itself to the stage lighting. Cameron suggested sharing the role because Eilish knew “every beat of this show.” “He really treated me as an equal,” she says. “I love the idea that people who weren’t able to experience the show live can experience it as if they were there…The goal in making this film is to capture this incredible connection that I share.”
This connection wasn’t lost on Cameron either. “It’s an emotional connection, and it’s real,” he says – emphasizing that it goes far beyond superficial pop star glitz. “She’s a world-class performer.”
The Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour was the biggest tour of Eilish’s career. The tour, which ended in November 2025, included 106 shows on four continents. The concert film will capture the show for eternity – and at the same time serve as a documentary that shows the artist at a crucial moment in her life.
