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- Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter have joined the Fred Astaire biopic in development.
- Tom Holland stars in and directs the film.
- Paddington’s Paul King will direct.
Thousands of years ago (2021), Tom Holland broke the news that producer Amy Pascal and studio Sony were developing a biopic of legendary dancer Fred Astaire.
Then, in 2023, Holland and Jamie Bell joined competing Astaire projects, with Margaret Qualley appearing aboard Bell’s version (still in development) as longtime Astaire dance partner Ginger Rogers.
But now comes word, via Deadline, that Qualley will indeed appear as Adele Astaire in the Dutch version, with Sabrina Carpenter as Rogers.
Paul King, who created ‘Paddington’ and ‘Wonka’, participated in directing and co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Levenson (‘Fosse/Verdon’). Astaire’s daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, supports the project along with her son, Tyler McKenzie.
Related article: Jamie Bell and Tom Holland play legendary dancer Fred Astaire in two different films
What is the story of the Fred Astaire biopic?
There’s no telling exactly what shape the new film will take (it’s unlikely to be a basic cradle-to-grave affair, especially in King’s creative hands).
Fred and Adele (she was his eldest sister) were major stars on Broadway and in London’s West End before Fred Astaire became one of screen’s biggest stars alongside his co-star and dance partner Rogers.
Fred Astaire Biography: What the Director Says
Here’s what Paul King had to say about the movie:
“I am so excited and honored to be tasked with bringing the story of Fred Astaire and his original dance partner, his older sister Adele, to the big screen. Fred left a timeless dance legacy in the films most famous for his collaboration with Ginger Rogers, while Adele’s work has been lost to history. There is virtually no footage of her dancing. The cinematic challenge of bringing these 20th century icons to life was unimaginable without Tom Holland. Next to me are Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter.”
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