Tom 'Spider-Man' Holland to headline Amy Pascal-backed Fred Astaire's biopic
What's the story
Tom Holland will finally be able to wear his dancing shoes! For his next, the Spider-Man star will be leading the biopic of legendary actor, dancer, and singer Fred Astaire for Sony. To be backed by Academy Award-nominated producer Amy Pascal, the film is still in "its early stages," said the young British star, adding that he has not read the script yet.
Context
Why does it matter?
Astaire is considered one of the greatest dancers and is widely recognized for his moves and ability to innovate. In addition to his Broadway outings and West End musicals, the Omaha, Nebraska-native had created more than 30 musical films. And Holland's lip sync battle performance of Rihanna's Umbrella is still talked about, so we know this decision taken by Pascal and Sony has value.
Information
'Script came in a week ago...haven't read it yet'
Talking about it at a Spider-Man: No Way Home promotional event, Holland said, "The script came in a week ago. I haven't read it yet; they haven't given it to me," adding that Pascal has been given the script. "She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath. And we had a lovely FaceTime, but I will be playing Fred Astaire," he jokingly added.
Details
'No Way Home' is set for a December-16 release here
Currently, the 25-year-old is completely focused on promoting his upcoming Peter Parker outing in Sony-Marvel's Spider-Man: No Way Home. This installment will mark his seventh appearance as the web-slinger. Also featuring Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon, among others, the Jon Watts-directorial will hit the theaters in India on December 16. Supervillains like Electro, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Sandman, and Lizard will return.
Update
Another biopic on Astaire is also in the making
Meanwhile, there is another project based on Astaire's life that is in the making at the moment. Jamie Bell and Margaret Qualley are collaborating as the lead actors in this project. They will be seen as the dancing duo Astaire and Ginger Rogers, respectively, in the movie that is being backed by Amazon Studios and Automatik. Astaire and Rogers performed together for a decade.