Adele is poised to transition from music to acting, marking her cinematic debut in the upcoming film directed by Tom Ford, the celebrated former fashion designer.
The acclaimed singer will join a distinguished cast including Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, and Owen Cooper, known for his breakthrough role in Adolescence, in Cry to Heaven.
The film is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s 1982 novel, immersing viewers in the 18th-century world of the “castrati” – male singers who underwent castration to preserve their exceptional vocal range.
Ford will take on the roles of director, producer, and screenwriter for the project. Details regarding the specific roles assigned to Adele and the other cast members are currently under wraps.
The narrative of the book centers on two castrati who achieve fame as opera singers in Venice, their lives intricately interwoven.
According to US media outlets, including Deadline, which initially broke the story, the cast will also feature Ciarán Hinds, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Hunter Schafer, and Thandiwe Newton. A representative for Ford has confirmed the project to BBC News.
Adele, a prominent figure in British music, released her most recent album four years ago. She has maintained a relatively low profile since concluding her Las Vegas residency a year prior.
Following her run of live performances last year, she expressed intentions to take “a big break” and explore “other creative things just for a little while”.
Ford, a highly influential figure in the fashion industry, has also directed two critically acclaimed and visually striking films: A Single Man, starring Firth and Hoult, in 2009, and Nocturnal Animals, which garnered him two BAFTA nominations, in 2016.
In 2022, he sold his eponymous fashion house to Estee Lauder for $2.8 billion (£2.4 billion), stating his intention to “say goodbye to fashion” and dedicate the next 20 years of his life to filmmaking.
“I loved making the two films that I made. That was the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life,” he shared with GQ.
“I think people are going to have the best time,” the singer-songwriter tells the BBC.
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