Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley have joined Tom Holland in the new Fred Astaire biopic (which still hasn’t been titled, FYI). Tom’s role as the iconic dancer was first confirmed in 2021, and other news regarding the new movie has been a long time coming. Each of these actors has plenty of star quality on their own, and I know seeing all three of them together will be an unbelievable experience. I’m starstruck already!
“I am thrilled and honored to have been entrusted with telling the story of Fred Astaire and his original dance partner — his big sister Adele — to the big screen,” director Paul King said in a statement (via Variety). “Fred left a timeless legacy of dance on film — most famously in his collaborations with Ginger Rogers — while Adele’s work has been lost to history; indeed, no footage of her dancing survives. The cinematic challenge of bringing to life these icons of the twentieth century is one that I could not imagine without Tom Holland, Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter by my side.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Tom Holland’s new Fred Astaire movie.
Tom Holland’s Fred Astaire movie includes Sabrina Carpenter & Margaret Qualley.
Margaret Qualley (Love of Your Life) will star as Adele Astaire, Fred’s sister, while Sabrina Carpenter will join him on the dance floor as Fred’s famous dance partner Ginger Rogers (who won the Oscar for Best Actress thanks to Kitty Foyle).
Fred Astaire is most known for his iconic movies like Funny Face and Holiday Inn, and Tom Holland promises he’ll do all the dancing himself. “I did my first few rehearsals recently, and it both filled me with excitement and absolute dread because I’ve got so much work to do to to try and do Fred proud,” Tom told GMA this summer. “No doubles, [I’ll] do all of the dancing [myself], to shoot those dances in one shot — how he would have done it.”
And the real Astaire family is involved.
But the actors aren’t the only people close to the story. Paul King co-wrote the script with Steven Levenson, based on Kathleen Riley’s book The Astaires: Fred & Adele. She’s also serving as a consultant on the film, in addition to Fred’s daughter Ava Astaire McKenzie and grandson Tyler McKenzie.
“I’m delighted to support this endeavor to celebrate the extraordinary careers and enduring legacy of my father and aunt, who were among the biggest musical stars of their era,” Ava said. “With Kathleen Riley’s seminal biography as its foundation, and the creative team in place, the story of their partnership both on and off the stage is in the best care.”
Stay tuned for more news on the upcoming film! Follow Brit + Co on Facebook for other movie and pop culture news you can’t miss.
