Actor Tom Holland has confirmed that he will play legendary Hollywood star Astaire’s immense technical talent and grace as a dancer. Though he ed away over thirty years ago at the age of 88, Astaire’s films and reputation remain unblemished by time.
Beginning with the advent of sound in films in the 1920s, the musical quickly became a fan favorite, expanding and growing into increasingly more lavish and technical productions with the ing of time. Though in recent years the genre has made prominent returns with the likes of reached its peak during Astaire’s reign, alongside fellow dancing legends Gene Kelly and Ginger Rogers. Despite his skill and popular appeal, Astaire never did lay claim to an Oscar, though he did receive a nomination toward the tail end of his career for his work in 1975’s The Towering Inferno. He was, however, known for doing his own choreography in the films in which he starred, the likes of which kept audiences riveted to his highly creative performances.
It seems only natural that eventually someone who made such a mark on Hollywood and cinema would receive the biopic treatment. As Spider-Man: No Way Home in London, saying:
“Oh I am playing Fred Astaire, yeah. I am – the script came in a week ago. I haven’t read it yet, they haven’t given it to me, I know that Amy Pascal has the script. She Face Timed me earlier, I was in the bath and we had a lovely Face Time. But I will be playing Fred Astaire.”
In addition to the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland is also preparing for the February 2022 release of the long-delayed and much-anticipated Uncharted promises plenty of action, and for several years now, Holland’s resume has seen a distinct focus on these sorts of films. It’s a wise career move, then, that he’s decided to take on a role as undoubtedly challenging as an Astaire biopic will be. It might not draw in those fans whose sole interest in the star comes from his connection to superhero movies, but there’s always plenty of opportunity with a biopic of this stature for critical acclaim and of course, awards.
Another key point in this casting is that Astaire and Holland look to have relatively the same body type. Astaire’s lean frame and height are nearly identical to Holland’s, with Holland only an inch shortage than Astaire was. It remains to be seen how well Holland can capture the intensity of Fred Astaire’s dancing, but it should be ed that Holland’s career began as a dancer, with a role in the Billy Elliot musical. With this kind of background, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be capable of taking the role to impressive heights.
Source: AP Entertainment
