# Tom Holland's Fred Astaire film takes shape with new cast

> Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley join Tom Holland in the long-awaited biopic directed by Paul King.
- Title: Tom Holland's Fred Astaire film takes shape with new cast
- Summary: Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley join Tom Holland in the long-awaited biopic directed by Paul King. The Fred Astaire biopic, first announced in 2021…
- Keywords: tom holland, fred astaire, sabrina carpenter, margaret qualley, biopic, paul king, ginger rogers, adele astaire, dance film, casting, Tom, Holland's
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/sabrina-carpenter-margaret-qualley-tom-holland-fred-astaire-movie
- Author: Séraphine Roger
- Published: 2026-09-26T20:20:56.961+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tom holland, fred astaire, sabrina carpenter, margaret qualley, biopic, paul king, ginger rogers, adele astaire, dance film, casting
## Fred Astaire biopic finally casting up
Tom Holland's long-awaited Fred Astaire film is assembling its cast, with Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley joining the project directed by Paul King.
## Margaret Qualley plays Adele Astaire
Margaret Qualley, 31, will portray Fred's older sister and first dance partner Adele, who formed a successful Broadway duo with Fred at the turn of the 20th century.
## Sabrina Carpenter as Ginger Rogers
The 27-year-old Grammy-winning singer and actress will play Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire's most famous dance partner. Carpenter has appeared in films including The Hate U Give and Tall Girl 2.
## Holland commits to dancing himself
Holland revealed he wants to perform all the dancing without doubles, shooting dances in single takes the way Astaire did. He said the role fills him with both excitement and dread.

> I have a desire to use no doubles. To do all of the dancing, to shoot those dances in one shot, how he would have done it.
## Director Paul King on the challenge
King, who directed Paddington and Wonka, said bringing these twentieth-century icons to life required this exact cast. No footage of Adele dancing survives, making her story particularly difficult to tell.
## Astaire's daughter gives her blessing
Ava Astaire McKenzie, Fred's daughter, supports the film and says the story is in excellent hands with director Paul King, writer Steven Levenson, and producer Amy Pascal.

> I'm delighted to support this endeavor to celebrate the extraordinary careers and enduring legacy of my father and aunt.
## Key takeaway

The Fred Astaire biopic, first announced in 2021, is finally assembling its full cast with major stars attached to play the legendary dancer and his key partners.