Tom Holland to play Fred Astaire with Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter
Tom Holland will play Fred Astaire in Sony's yet-to-be-titled Fred Astaire biopic, with Margaret Qualley as Adele Astaire and Sabrina Carpenter as Ginger Rogers, according to Variety. The casting was reported on 25 September. Sony, the studio behind the production, has not yet announced a title for the film. A biopic, in plain terms, is a drama that follows a real person's life rather than an invented character.
Margaret Qualley will star as Adele Astaire, according to Variety. Sabrina Carpenter will portray Ginger Rogers. The two roles were confirmed together with Holland's lead part. Together, the three actors form the central cast announced so far. Co-starring here means sharing the weight of the story, with each performer carrying a named real-life figure.
Paul King is directing the picture, according to Variety. The director leads the shoot day to day and shapes performances on set. Amy Pascal is producing. The producer steers the project from development through to delivery, putting key talent, money and schedules in place. Both appointments were confirmed in the same announcement, which keeps direction and production under one established team.
Holland comes to the part with long stage dance experience. He played the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical on London's West End from 2008 to 2010, according to Variety. The West End is London's main theatre district. The title role means the lead, in a musical where dance carries much of the story. The dates cover a run of about two years, starting when Holland was a child performer and continuing through his early teens.
He has said he intends to do all the dancing himself in the Astaire film, with no doubles and with dances shot in one shot, according to Variety. In plain terms, no doubles means no stand-in takes over the footwork. One shot means the camera keeps rolling without visible cuts, so a routine must be completed from start to finish. It is a demanding way to film dance, for the performer and for the camera crew moving with him.
What makes this stand out is the physical pledge at its centre. A lead who dances every step himself, and holds each number in a single take, leaves little room for editing tricks. For fans, this means the film is offering skill as well as story, with the dancing presented as something to watch happen in real time.
