The Big Picture
- Tom Holland, known for his roles in Marvel films, is developing and potentially starring in a biopic about legendary dancer Fred Astaire.
- The biopic will primarily focus on Astaire’s relationship with his sister, Adele, and their dance career together before she got married and he pursued Hollywood.
- While the film is still in development, Holland expresses his enthusiasm for the project and hopes to portray the character of Astaire. No release date has been announced.
Before taking over the world of film in productions like The Impossible, How I Live Now, and, of course, as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man in a slew of Marvel flicks, Tom Holland was a theater nerd. From a young age, it was clear that he had a special knack for the performing arts and was a triple threat as a singer, dancer, and actor. That talent would eventually carry the burgeoning star to a supporting role in Billy Elliot the Musical in 2008, a step that laid a pathway for him to take over the show later that year. So, when it was first announced back in 2021 that Holland would be dancing his way into a biopic centered around the legendary Fred Astaire, no one could say they were shocked. But, it’s now been two years and the updates have been few and far between, leaving fans wondering if the film will tap its way onto the screen after all.
During a recent Critics Choice Association press conference which focused on his latest series, The Crowded Room, Holland addressed one participant’s question surrounding the future of the Astaire biopic. “We are developing it,” Holland responded, pouring hope into the future of the project, adding, “We obviously put it on pause while everyone was on strike.” Touching on exactly what’s going on behind the scenes, Holland continued,
The movie is being developed. Scripts are being written. Meetings are being had. Like anything in the film industry, whether it happens or not is another thing, but we are working towards it as if it is happening. Hopefully, we can find a way to tell the story in the way it needs to be told. I’d love to put my tap shoes on again and to portray that character, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Half vague and half informative, Holland’s comments give an overview of where the production team is at, acknowledging that he and the rest of the folks involved really want to make the project work. While no other casting announcements for the untitled biopic had been made at this time, it was revealed at the beginning of the year that Paddington franchise director, Paul King, would be helming the film.
What Will the Fred Astaire Biopic Be About?
With a long-lasting career in the biz, it was likely a difficult challenge for the team to center on a singular movement of the dancer’s life. In the end, it was decided that the biopic would focus primarily on Astaire’s relationship with his sister, Adele. Both Astaire siblings were incredibly talented and very fortunate to have the opportunity to dance their way around the globe, performing on the most iconic stages under the sun. That all came to a screeching halt in 1932 when Adele got married, leaving Fred to tap on his own. What seemed like a huge step back would actually be a cha-cha slide forward
as he made his way onto the sets of Hollywood.
As is oftentimes the case, when one film about a famous figure or event goes into production, another one or two pop out of the woodwork and the tale of Astaire is no different. Along with the Holland-led biopic, there’s also a separate film in the making starring Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) as Astaire and Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers) as Ginger Rogers.
Of course, no release date has been set for Holland’s Astaire biopic, but stay tuned to Collider for more information. You can catch The Crowded Room in its entirety now streaming on Apple TV+.
Watch on Apple TV+
