SO FAR, SO TOM FORD, EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE UPCOMING ‘CRY TO HEAVEN’ FILM
words by VERONICA TLAPANCO SZABÓ
editor MAREK BARTEK
Tom Ford’s instinct for beauty is something few would dispute. The American designer, who once revitalised a faltering Gucci and later built his own namesake empire, has a talent for turning anything he touches into pure glamour and sexiness. Naturally carrying over into his work in film, the powerhouse behind Oscar-nominated A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals, seems to raise the bar with every project. If we’re being honest, a win feels just over the horizon, as the multi-hyphenate Tom Ford has his sights set on his next project. Cry to Heaven adapts Anne Rice’s 18th-century-Italy-set novel of the same name, with a star-studded cast that has left us gasping. Here’s everything we know so far.
image via imdb.com
The Anne Rice revival is here at last, bringing her tales of the supernatural and fantastical back into the spotlight. Her work has already made its way to television, such as the serial adaptation of The Lives of Mayfair Witches. But it’s been a minute since we’ve seen her work on the big screen — 31 years, to be exact, with Interview with the Vampire, where gay vampires Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise essentially raise their lesbian vampire daughter Kirsten Dunst. And now Cry to Heaven takes us back to Venice at the height of operatic excellence and deals with a subject that (to my knowledge) has rarely been explored in fiction — the tragic and astonishing universe of the castrati.
image via imdb.com
The plot follows Tonio, a Venetian noble, whose fate is violently altered when a family betrayal forces him into castration. Stripped of his future and status, he is sent into the world of the castrati, male singers with incredible high soprano voices (think Ariana Grande on that one SNL episode). He soon meets Guido, the son of a peasant family who was castrated as a child and brought to Naples to study at the conservatorio, and who teaches him how to harness his exceptional voice. Tonio, thus, eventually transforms his trauma into artistic prowess, becoming one of the most celebrated singers in Italy. The story touches on themes of betrayal, love and the pursuit of personal freedom. Ultimately it's about reclaiming one’s voice, literally and metaphorically, an idea that falls right in Ford’s wheelhouse.
image via @accessarianabr
If Tom Ford decides to remain truthful to the book then we can expect something bold and erotic, laced with luxury, sexual tension and music. A film where passion is all, desires are overwhelming, gender is blurred, lovers meet and part, cousins couple with cousins, nephews with aunts, eunuchs become the favourites of cardinals, and men seductively wear silk and rouge.
image via @frans_hattingh
Looking at the cast list, our guess is that Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be playing the two leads, it’s not yet clear who will take on which role, as both excel at playing villains, and neither is known for their singing. One thing that’s for sure is that Adolescence rising star Owen Cooper will most likely be playing young Tonio and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see him land roles on the silver screen. As for Hunter Schafer, we beg of Ford to give her a leading role. Her beauty would absolutely thrive in this baroque setting. Overall the budget for casting must've been unlimited because: Ciarán Hinds, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Hunter Schafer, Josephine Thiesen, Thandiwe Newton, Theodore Pellerin, Daryl McCormack, Cassian Bilton, Adele, Hauk Hannemann and Lux Pascal are all in this film! One name stood out a little more for its novelty. Yes, it's Adele’s first time acting! Already an Oscar winner for the Skyfall soundtrack, she’s now stepping it up by being in front of the camera. And if she sings opera, I will undoubtedly pass out.
image via imdb.com
These are not all just rumours, as pre-production is currently taking place between London and Rome, with filming reportedly kicking off in January 2026. It’s hoped that we’ll have a late fall 2026 release, quite a quick turnaround for such an elaborate period piece (in our opinion). Now for some aesthetic speculations, we can already sense that gowns will be a major plotpoint. Just remember the acid green, floor-length evening gown from Gucci by Tom Ford FW04 set against Venetian palazzos with richly velveted interiors and musical numbers on gilded altars. Music, naturally, will have a central role in the film. This is where a lot of questions arise since a number of technical challenges ensue. Will Tom Ford be using original compositions? Will the cast be singing? How is he depicting the voices of the castrati? Let’s all agree to meet back here in a year's time to debrief, shall we?
