Grammy-winning singer Adele is set to make her acting debut in the upcoming movie Cry to Heaven, directed by Tom Ford.
The film is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1982 novel of the same name.
Set in the decadent world of 18th-century Italy, Anne Rice’s Cry to Heaven is a lavish saga centered on the tragic figure of Tonio Treschi, a young Venetian nobleman whose privileged life is violently upended by his vengeful half-brother, Carlo. In a ruthless scheme to usurp the family fortune, Carlo betrays Tonio by having him secretly castrated to preserve his beautiful soprano voice, forcing him into the ranks of the castrati, the celebrated, yet socially ambiguous, male opera singers. Driven by a consuming lust for revenge and a desperate need to reclaim his identity, Tonio trains under the maestro castrato Guido Maffeo, rising to glittering operatic fame across Italy’s grand theaters.
The novel explores Tonio’s tumultuous journey as he struggles to reconcile his artistic glory with the psychological trauma of his physical sacrifice, culminating in a dramatic return to Venice to enact his calculated vengeance against the man who stole his future.
This move into acting comes after Adele wrapped up her Las Vegas residency in late 2024. The singer had previously mentioned wanting to take a break to explore other creative projects.
Others set to star in the film include Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Colin Firth, Hunter Schafer, Ciarán Hinds, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, and more.
Tom Ford, known for his work in fashion and critically acclaimed films like A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals, will serve as director, producer, and screenwriter. Cry to Heaven is currently in pre-production, with filming scheduled to begin in January 2026 in London and Rome.
