The cast of the long-awaited, Tom Holland-starring Fred Astaire biopic is finally taking shape, with Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley the latest stars named to the roster of the Paul King-directed film.
First announced in 2021, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland was named from the start as the lead in the film adaptation of Kathleen Riley’s 2012 book The Astaires: Fred & Adele. But while we have long had our Fred, the face of his older sister and first dance partner, Adele Astaire, was unknown until Friday, when Deadline reported that Margaret Qualley would play the role.
In complementary (and opposing) autobiographies, Rogers and Astaire explain the truth behind their big-screen magic.
Adele, who died in 1981, formed a successful duo with her brother on Broadway at the beginning of the last century. Born in 1896, she was three years older than Fred, who was born in 1899. The age gap between Qualley and Holland isn’t too far off: The star of The Substance, who is also the daughter of Groundhog Day‘s Andie MacDowell, is 31, while Marvel’s current Spider-Man turned 30 this summer.
Tom Holland on July 29, 2026
Lia Toby/Getty Images
Also named Friday to the cast was Sabrina Carpenter, who will play Astaire’s best-known partner, Ginger Rogers. Carpenter, whose musical work has earned her two Grammys, is no stranger to acting. A product of the Disney system, the 27-year-old has appeared in about a dozen films, including The Hate U Give (2018), The Short History of the Long Road (2019), and, more recently, Tall Girl 2 (2022).
Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter on February 03, 2024
Lester Cohen/Getty Images
After a busy year marked by the releases of twin blockbusters The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day—box-office hits directed by Christopher Nolan and Destin Daniel Cretton, respectively—Tom Holland has returned to his first love, dance.
“We have Fred Astaire next,” the former Billy Elliot star revealed on the set of Good Morning America in July. “As soon as I’m finished with these tours I’m diving back into the dance studio.”
Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in a scene from Carefree (1938)
Bettmann
“I did my first few rehearsals recently and it both filled me with excitement and absolute dread,” he continued. “I’ve got so much work to do to try and do Fred proud.”
And what does that mean? “I have a desire to use no doubles,” Holland asserted. “To do all of the dancing, to shoot those dances in one shot, how he would have done it.”
Tom Holland on February 16, 2017
Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
In a statement, director Paul King (Paddington, Wonka) said “I am thrilled and honored to have been entrusted with telling the story of Fred Astaire and his original dance partner—his big sister Adele—to the big screen. Fred left a timeless legacy of dance on film, most famously in his collaborations with Ginger Rogers, while Adele’s work has been lost to history; indeed, no footage of her dancing survives. The cinematic challenge of bringing to life these icons of the 20th century is one that I could not imagine without Tom Holland, Margaret Qualley and Sabrina Carpenter by my side.”
The casting decisions also have the full support of the star’s daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, Variety reports. McKenzie, who was born in 1942 to Fred Astaire and Phyllis Potter, says via statement that “I’m delighted to support this endeavor to celebrate the extraordinary careers and enduring legacy of my father and aunt, who were among the biggest musical stars of their era.”
“With Kathleen Riley’s seminal biography as its foundation, and the creative team in place, the story of their partnership both on and off the stage is in the best care. Guided by the incredible filmmaking team led by director Paul King, writer Steven Levenson, producer Amy Pascal and Tom Holland, I know their legacy will be beautifully brought to life for a whole new generation.”
Originally published by Vanity Fair France
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