Put on your dancing shoes. It’s been a long time since Tom Holland announced he would be playing Fred Astaire in a biopic about the entertainer’s life, but the project just got a major casting update. Deadline reports that Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter will be joining Holland in the Fred Astaire movie.
The Fred Astaire Biopic
Margaret Qualley will play Adele Astaire, Fred’s older sister, and Sabrina Carpenter will play Ginger Rogers, who partnered with Astaire for many movies.
In a statement, director Paul King said, “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. 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.“
King will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with Steven Levenson, based on the book The Astaires: Fred & Adele by Kathleen Riley. Amy Pascal and Rachel O’Connor will produce, along with Holland through his Billy17 banner.
Family Support
The project does have the support of some members of the Astaire family, including Ava Astaire McKenzie, Fred’s daughter. “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,” Astaire McKenzie said in a statement. “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.”
McKenzie’s son, Tyler, who is consulting on the movie, added, “Guided by the incredible filmmaking team led by director Paul King, writer Steven Levenson, producer Amy Pascal and Tom Holland, I know their legacy will be beautifully brought to life for a whole new generation.“
Done right, this one could be quite something, and I know it’s been a passion project of Holland’s for a long time.
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