Tom Ford Returns to Film with Anne Rice’s ‘Cry to Heaven’
After nearly a decade away from film, Tom Ford returns to the director’s chair with Cry to Heaven, a lush adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel set in the haunting world of 18th-century Italian opera
Tom Ford returns to filmmaking after nearly a decade
Tom Ford is returning to the director’s chair after nearly a decade away from film. The American designer and filmmaker will adapt Anne Rice’s Cry to Heaven, a historical drama set in 18th-century Italy. Production is set to begin in January 2026, with filming expected to take place in Rome, Venice, and Naples.
The film marks Tom’s third feature, following A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals, both of which received critical acclaim and multiple award nominations. Like his previous works, Cry to Heaven is based on a novel and continues Tom’s exploration of beauty, morality, and identity through visual storytelling.
Inside the haunting tale
Anne Rice’s Cry to Heaven follows Tonio Treschi, a young Venetian nobleman castrated by his jealous brother to preserve his soprano voice. After his forced transformation, Tonio meets Guido Maffeo, a former castrato and composer who becomes his mentor.
Together they navigate the world of opera in a society that reveres beauty but demands sacrifice. The story reflects many of the author’s recurring themes, such as faith, corruption, and the search for purpose, while also aligning with Tom’s cinematic fascination with fragility and control.
In 2023, the designer-turned-filmmaker sold his namesake fashion house to Estée Lauder and announced his retirement from the fashion industry. He said he planned to dedicate the next 20 years of his life to making films. “After 35 years, I had said everything I could say with fashion,” Tom said. “It was time to say goodbye. Fashion is a younger man’s game.”
A new chapter after fashion
Tom, now 64, noted that filmmaking allows him to channel his artistic discipline in new ways. “As a director, it takes three years to make a movie. I have maybe time for five more films in my life, so they have to be meaningful,” he said. He also revealed that Cry to Heaven has been in development since 2004, when Anne was still alive.
The director described the process as a creative reset. “Anne Rice once wrote that every 150 years, vampires had to bury themselves in the ground to later rise and appreciate life again,” he explained. “That’s what this feels like to me. A reset to figure out act three.”
A creative reset
While casting details have not yet been announced, Tom’s previous films have featured A-list talent including Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Given his history and reputation, Cry to Heaven is expected to attract major stars once production begins.
For Tom, Cry to Heaven represents a new creative chapter for one of fashion’s most exacting figures, who continues to blur the line between art and desire. If A Single Man was a study of grief and Nocturnal Animals a meditation on revenge, Cry to Heaven looks set to explore beauty as both salvation and punishment.
Cry to Heaven is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel set in 18th-century Italy. It follows Tonio Treschi, a Venetian nobleman who becomes a castrato singer, and his mentor Guido Maffeo as they navigate the complex world of opera and desire.
Production for Cry to Heaven is scheduled to begin in January 2026, with filming expected to take place in Rome, Venice, and Naples.
Tom Ford retired from fashion in 2023 after selling his brand to Estée Lauder, saying he had “said everything” he could in fashion and wanted to spend the next 20 years making meaningful films.
The novel Cry to Heaven was written by Anne Rice, best known for The Vampire Chronicles. It explores themes of beauty and sacrifice within the world of 18th-century opera.
Audiences can expect a visually rich and emotionally charged film that merges historical storytelling with the director’s signature attention to human complexity.
Photos courtesy Tom Ford, IMDB
