'Paddington' Director Paul King to Helm Fred Astaire Biopic Starring Tom Holland

by Darian Scalamoni

    When the trades started to report that Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Uncharted) would be playing iconic dancer Fred Astaire, I was excited by his talents bringing Astaire to life. Though it's been over a year since Holland confirmed he'd play Astaire, there is now an update on the film from The Hollywood Reporter. 

    According to THR, Paul King (Paddington, Paddington 2) will direct and bring the Fred Astaire biopic to life. Astaire was a golden age film and dance superstar who is more than deserving of a scripted telling of his life. King's take will focus on Astaire and his relationship with his sister, Adele which was said to be inseparable. The two worked together for 20 years, navigating through Vaudeville before heading to Broadway and London's West End Theater Company throughout the 1920s. The duo split in 1932 and though Adele was originally the face of their two-way act, Fred's skillset eventually eclipsed that of Adele's. While it was Adele's plan to break apart and left Fred in shambles for a bit, it ultimately led to Fred's rise in popularity across cinema and musicals catapulting him into stardom. 

    King is best known for helming the first two Paddington films which are absolutely beloved critically and commercially. The two movies revolving around the lovable toy bear brought to life have grossed over $500 million worldwide. King's acumen around his directorial talent led to his highest profile gig yet, with the upcoming musical prequel Wonka starring Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Colman and Sally Hawkins, who will reunite with King as she's starred in both Paddington films. His experiences around directing a musical will surely add to the allure of his take on Fred Astaire's story.

    The currently untitled biopic on Astaire is also scripted by Lee Hall, who famously wrote the script for Billy Elliot. Ironically enough, there's a connection between Hall and Holland, as the latter starred as Elliot in a West End production from 2008-2010. Hall is also known for writing the scripts for War Horse, Cats and the Elton John biopic, Rocketman.

    Holland has been busy playing Spider-Man for Sony and the MCU over the past seven years, but now has a bit of a break in his schedule to pursue other roles. He reteamed with Sony for their Uncharted film which released last year as he starred as Nathan Drake. He'll star next in the AppleTV+ anthology series The Crowded Room with Amanda Seyfried and Emmy Rossum.