American fashion designer Tom Ford has dazzled Hollywood for decades with his impeccable apparel, but this time around, he’s making an impact on the film industry once again. The multi-hyphenate will adapt Anne Rice’s 1982 novel Cry to Heaven into a feature film, which he will write, produce, and direct under his production banner, Fade to Black.
Cry to Heaven is currently in its pre-production stage, with principal photography slated to begin in January 2026 and a theatrical release reportedly scheduled for November 2026.
The upcoming film boasts a star-studded ensemble, including Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Adele, Ciarán Hinds, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, Owen Cooper, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Hunter Schafer, Josephine Thiesen, Thandiwe Newton, Theodore Pellerin, Daryl McCormack, Cassian Bilton, Lux Pascal, and Hauk Hannemann.
The project reunites Ford with several actors he has previously collaborated with. Taylor-Johnson appeared in Nocturnal Animals, while Firth and Hoult both starred in his directorial debut A Single Man.
Grammy Award-winning singer Adele will also make her acting debut in Cry to Heaven, marking a bold new chapter in her artistic journey as she reportedly works on her fifth studio album.
Ford has long been known for his creative versatility and meticulous craftsmanship. He wrote, directed, and produced A Single Man, which premiered in 2009 and earned Firth a BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role, alongside multiple Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations. He followed a similar model with Nocturnal Animals in 2016, which garnered an Academy Award nomination and secured a Golden Globe win for Taylor-Johnson in the Best Supporting Actor- Motion Picture category.
Rice’s Cry to Heaven tells the tragic story of Tonio Treschi, a young nobleman betrayed by his family to preserve his unique soprano voice. Stripped of his inheritance, Tonio is drawn into the competitive world of the castrati—guided by a bitter but brilliant mentor, Guido Maffeo—who transforms his (Tonio) pain into a weapon of artistry and revenge.
Whether or not Ford remains faithful to Rice’s original narrative remains to be seen, but its central themes of loss, betrayal, and revenge are ones he has explored masterfully throughout his filmmaking career.