Adele is stepping into the movies - and Tom Ford's back in the director's chair
If you've been waiting to hear what Adele's doing with that "big break" from music, here's your answer: she's making her film debut. And she's doing it with Tom Ford (movies and tv series), who's returning to directing for the first time in nearly a decade.
The "Hello" singer will appear in Ford's self-financed adaptation of Anne Rice (movies and tv series)'s "Cry to Heaven," an 18th-century story steeped in opera, obsession, and identity. The project is aiming for a fall 2026 release, according to Deadline.
Where the film stands
Ford's team is in pre-production in London and Rome, with principal photography set to start in January. This will be his third feature after "A Single Man" (which earned Colin Firth (movies and tv series) an Oscar nomination) and 2016's "Nocturnal Animals."
It's also his first major creative swing since Estée Lauder bought his fashion house in a $2.8 billion deal. Different canvas, same control - Ford's financing this one himself.
Stacked cast, period world
Adele joins a cast that includes Nicholas Hoult (movies and tv series), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (movies and tv series), Colin Firth, Hunter Schafer (movies and tv series), Thandiwe Newton (movies and tv series), Mark Strong (movies and tv series), and Paul Bettany (movies and tv series). That's a lot of presence on screen, across ages and styles.
The ensemble also features Ciarán Hinds (movies and tv series), George MacKay (movies and tv series), "Adolescence" Emmy winner Owen Cooper (movies and tv series) (CNN), Daniel Quinn-Toye (movies and tv series), Josephine Thiesen (movies and tv series), Theodore Pellerin, Daryl McCormack (movies and tv series), Cassian Bilton (movies and tv series), Hauk Hannemann, and Lux Pascal (movies and tv series). No one (movies and tv series)'s saying what role Adele plays yet.
Why Adele, and why now
The 16-time Grammy winner, 37, told fans in 2024 she wanted "a big break" after her Las Vegas residency wrapped. "I don't have any plans for new music, at all," she said. "I think I want to do other creative things, just for a little while."
She's already an Oscar winner (Best Original Song for "Skyfall") and took home an Emmy for "Adele: One Night Only." But this is her first time acting on screen. Different spotlight. Different kind of pressure.
The story she's walking into
"Cry to Heaven" centers on a Venetian noble and a castrated Calabrian singer with operatic ambitions. It's a world of gilded rooms and sharp edges, where voices can make or break a life.
With Ford at the helm, expect precision, tension, and images you can almost feel. And given Adele's voice, you can't help but wonder how music will factor in - even if it's not her singing.
For industry folks, here's what to watch
- Status: Pre-production now; cameras roll in January (London and Rome).
- Release target: Fall 2026 - which puts it in that awards-friendly window if timelines hold.
- Open questions: Adele's role, whether she contributes to the soundtrack, and who handles distribution for Ford's self-financed feature.
Look, this isn't just a celebrity cameo. It's a major artist pressing pause on albums to try something new, and a fashion icon-director stepping back into film with a story that lives and dies on emotion. Here's what this could mean: a slower music year from Adele, a louder festival season next year for Ford, and a project built to spark conversation the moment the first stills drop.
