Adele will make her acting debut in Tom Ford’s adaptation of ‘Cry to Heaven’

This combination of images shows Tom Ford at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 2, 2025,, left, and Adele at the 65th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 2023. (AP Photo)

NEW YORK (AP) — Fashion designer Tom Ford has called up Adele to co-star in his adaptation of Anne Rice’s “Cry to Heaven,” his production company said Wednesday. The film, which Ford is writing, directing and producing, will mark the acting debut of the superstar singer.

Adele is just one part of a large ensemble cast that includes Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, George MacKay, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, “Adolescence” breakout Owen Cooper and Hunter Schafer, though no details were immediately available about their specific roles.

Rice’s novel, first published in 1982, is set in the world of the opera in 18th century Italy and follows two characters from very different backgrounds: one born a peasant, the other a Venetian noble.

“Cry to Heaven” will be the third feature for Ford, who made his directing debut with the romantic drama “A Single Man” in 2009, followed by the psychological thriller “Nocturnal Animals” in 2016. The movie is currently in pre-production for a release in late fall 2026.

As with his previous features, Ford is financing “Cry to Heaven” himself. In 2016, he told The Associated Press: “I will only ever make a movie if I control the underlying rights.”

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press