Tom Ford Plans to Make a Dark Comedy Movie

After 35 years in fashion and beauty, Tom Ford sold his namesake company to the Estée Lauder Companies for a whopping $2.8 billion USD. Two days prior to the brand’s official transfer in April, the designer unveiled his final women’s collection under his eponymous label with little-to-no fuss. And according to a new interview with Air Mail, Ford is not looking back. Instead, he has his eyes set on making a dark comedy film — after a much-needed period of rest.

“What I need to do now is take a nap,” he told the outlet. “My father died during COVID, and Richard [Buckley, Ford’s husband and partner of 35 years] died. My very first boyfriend, Ian Falconer, died about three weeks ago. I sold my company. We moved. I need a few months to digest everything that has happened and then start writing.”

Given the weight of his tumultuous personal life, Ford’s plan in the coming months, while his 10-year-old son, Jack, is at camp, is simple: “I’m going to go to my house in New York. I’m going to be in my underwear and a dirty T-shirt. I’m going to eat bowls of cereal. I might not take a bath for three or four days at a time. I’m going to stare at the ceiling. I’m going to watch stupid television, and I just want to be left alone,” he says.

Once his rest concludes, however, he’ll begin penning his dark comedy. Of his genre selection, he explains, “That’s what life is. It’s a dark, dark comedy. Life is just so much pain, but yet so absurd. I think if you don’t approach it with a certain comedic point of view, it can kill you, life.”

The move will mark Ford’s return to the cinema, following his first two films, A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals, which were released in 2009 and 2016, respectively. Those projects, he says, were “the most fun [he's] ever had in [his] life.”

“I wanted to have a second career,” he added. “When the bankers were putting together the presentations, they talked about me. I said, ‘No. Pretend I’m dead, and let’s market the brand as strong enough to exist without me. Because it is.’”

While Ford moves on to Hollywood, his multi-billion dollar business will land in the hands of newly-appointed president and CEO Guillaume Jesel and creative director Peter Hawkings. Ford is confident that both leaders will be able to continue building his brand’s legacy.

“I love Peter. He worked with me for 25 years. I wanted him to get the job. He has incredible taste; he’s a terrific leader,” he said. “He is genuinely talented. I can’t wait to see what he does. I’ve also worked with Guillaume for years, at Tom Ford Beauty. He has a great knowledge of the beauty industry and of fashion in general. Guillaume is a terrific choice.”

As for his next endeavor, Ford’s dark comedy film is very much still in its early developmental stages, and there’s no say on when it’ll come to life. Until further notice, Ford deserves his rest.

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