Adele to Make Acting Debut in Tom Ford’s New Film 'Cry To Heaven'

Adele
Adele Photo by FMT licensed under CC BY 4.0.

The Grammy and Oscar-winning superstar is set to make her acting debut in Cry To Heaven, the upcoming film from renowned fashion designer and filmmaker Tom Ford.

Adapted from Anne Rice’s 1982 novel, the story takes place in 18th-century Italy. It follows two men, a Venetian nobleman and a castrated opera singer, whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined in a tale of ambition, art, and betrayal.

Ford, who both wrote and will direct the adaptation, has gathered a strong cast that includes Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, Thandiwe Newton, Hunter Schafer, and Adolescence breakout Owen Cooper.

According to Deadline, the film is currently in pre-production in London and Rome. Filming is set to start in January. Ford is reportedly funding the project himself, which is expected to be released in autumn 2026.

Adele’s move into acting follows her announcement last year that she would be taking “a big break” from music after finishing her Las Vegas residency in late 2024.

“I don’t have any plans for new music at all,” Adele told Germany’s ZDF network in 2024. “I want a long break after this. I think I want to do other creative things, just for a little while.”

While this marks her first major film role, Adele isn’t entirely new to acting. She made a brief appearance in Ugly Betty in 2009 and performed the Oscar-winning theme song for the James Bond film Skyfall in 2012.

Cry To Heaven will be Tom Ford’s third feature as a director, following the critically acclaimed A Single Man (2009) and Nocturnal Animals (2016). The project brings him together with previous collaborators Colin Firth, Nicholas Hoult, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson for what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films of 2026.