Tom Holland will star as the iconic dancer Fred Astaire in an upcoming biographical film directed by Paul King. Margaret Qualley has been cast as Adele Astaire, Fred’s sister and original dance partner. Sabrina Carpenter will portray Ginger Rogers, the actress with whom Fred became most famous for their dance collaborations. The new casting was confirmed on September 25 as the long-running Sony Pictures project moved forward.
The film will explore the early lives of Fred and Adele Astaire before Fred’s rise to stardom in Hollywood, according to BroadwayWorld. Paul King, the director, expressed excitement about bringing their story to the big screen, according to a report from Yahoo News. He noted that while Fred left behind a rich legacy of dance films, Adele’s contributions have faded from history. No footage of Adele dancing exists, which makes her role in the film especially significant. King said the lack of surviving film of Adele’s dancing presents a special challenge for the production.
The movie is based on the book ‘The Astaires: Fred & Adele’ by Kathleen Riley. Holland has been involved in the project for nearly five years, since first announcing his role as Astaire. He began his acting career on the London stage, notably playing the title role in ‘Billy Elliot the Musical’. Holland has said he intends to perform all the dancing himself in the film. He has said he wants to avoid dance doubles and hopes the routines can be filmed in long takes similar to Astaire’s performances.
The film is being produced by Amy Pascal and Rachel O’Connor and will include Holland’s production company Billy17. Ava Astaire McKenzie, daughter of Fred Astaire, supports the project and has offered her family’s involvement. She said that the story of Fred and Adele’s partnership is in good hands with the filmmakers. Her son Tyler McKenzie is serving as a consultant and co-producer. Kathleen Riley is also serving as a script and story consultant.
Fred Astaire starred in more than thirty films and had a long career on Broadway and in London’s West End. Margaret Qualley is known for her performances in ‘Maid’, ‘The Substance’, and ‘The Leftovers’. Sabrina Carpenter won a Primetime Emmy in 2026 as an executive producer and performer on ‘The Muppet Show’, which won Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).
Tom Holland has had a long career in both film and theater, including roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He starred as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in multiple films and also appeared in ‘The Devil All the Time’ and ‘Cherry’. Holland has also worked on stage, including a recent revival of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in London. He recently founded his own production company, Billy17, and has a deal with Sony Pictures. Sony announced the Billy17 producing deal in 2024 with Holland, Harry Holland and Will South. Holland appeared in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ and returned as Spider-Man in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ in 2026.
The film will be produced by Amy Pascal, Rachel O’Connor, Ben Holden, and Josh Hyams, with contributions from Lightbulb Pictures. The script was co-written by Paul King and Steven Levenson. The story centers on Fred Astaire’s early career and his partnership with his sister Adele, while Ginger Rogers will also be portrayed in the film. The film is expected to highlight not only Fred’s achievements, but also the forgotten legacy of Adele Astaire.
Astaire and Rogers eventually appeared as dance partners in 10 films. Their collaborations included ‘Top Hat’, ‘Swing Time’, and ‘The Gay Divorcee’. The new film will connect Astaire’s earlier stage partnership with Adele to the Hollywood career that later made his work with Rogers famous.
No release date has been announced.
IMAGE: Studio publicity portrait for film You’ll Never Get Rich (1941).. Photo: Studio publicity still / Wikimedia, Public domain