Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley join Tom Holland in the Fred Astaire biopic

Tom Holland. Photo: Philip Romano / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley have joined Tom Holland in the cast of the as-yet-untitled biopic about Hollywood legend Fred Astaire. The news was first reported by Deadline on Friday, Sept. 25, adding two new names to one of Sony Pictures’ most anticipated projects.

Carpenter, 27, the pop star of the hit “Espresso,” will play Ginger Rogers — Astaire’s legendary dance partner, with whom she filmed nine movies between 1933 and 1939, among them “Top Hat,” “Shall We Dance” and “Swing Time,” before reuniting with her in “The Barkleys of Broadway” in 1949.

Margaret Qualley, 31, will play Adele Astaire — Fred’s older sister and his first dance partner, with whom she shared the vaudeville, Broadway and West End stage for 27 years, before Adele retired at the age of 35. Qualley is a natural choice for the role: before turning to acting, she trained as a classical dancer (North Carolina School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre), has been nominated for an Emmy for her roles in “Fosse/Verdon” and “Maid,” and received her first Golden Globe nomination for “The Substance.”

The film will be directed by Paul King (Paddington, Wonka). The screenplay, written by King himself together with Steven Levenson (Tick, Tick… Boom!, Fosse/Verdon), is based on Kathleen Riley’s 2012 biography “The Astaires: Fred & Adele,” who also serves as a consultant on the project. Producers: Amy Pascal, Rachel O’Connor, Tom Holland, Ben Holden and Josh Hyams (Sony Pictures).

The project has the family’s blessing: Fred’s daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, has publicly supported the film, while his grandson Tyler McKenzie serves as consultant and co-producer. Director King has said of the cast: “I couldn’t imagine this cinematic challenge without Tom Holland, Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter by my side.” The film has been in development since 2021 and is expected to focus on the brother–sister partnership between Fred and Adele, before Fred’s rise in Hollywood.

Holland comes off a record year in his career: he stars in The Odyssey, Universal’s highest-grossing film ever, as well as in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has broken internal records in America.