Holland to Dance With Carpenter and Qualley in Astaire Film

Tom Holland will star in a biopic about Fred Astaire, with Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley joining the cast to portray his dance partners. Carpenter will play Ginger Rogers, while Qualley will portray Adele Astaire, Fred's older sister and original dance partner.

Paul King, the director of Paddington and Wonka, will helm the project. King co-wrote the screenplay with Steven Levenson. The narrative draws from Kathleen Riley's book, The Astaires: Fred & Adele, and Riley will serve as a story and script consultant. The story covers the siblings' early work in Broadway and London's West End before Fred moved to Hollywood.

King said he was honored to bring the siblings' story to the screen. He noted that while Fred's film legacy is well documented, Adele's dancing has largely disappeared from the historical record. "Fred left a timeless legacy of dance on film," King said. "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 project has been in development since Holland first announced his involvement in 2021. In July, Holland said he had begun dance rehearsals and intended to perform the film's choreography himself rather than use doubles. His goal is to capture the routines in single takes. "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 try and do Fred proud," Holland told Good Morning America.

Amy Pascal and Rachel O'Connor are producing the film for Pascal Pictures. Holland is producing through Billy17 alongside Ben Holden and Josh Hyams for Lightbulb Pictures. Fred Astaire's daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, supports the production. Her son, Tyler McKenzie, is serving as a consultant and co-producer.

Production is expected to begin in early 2027. The film is described as an untitled biopic by Sony Pictures. The cast includes Holland, Carpenter, and Qualley. The production team includes King, Levenson, Riley, Pascal, O'Connor, Holland, Holden, and Hyams.