The new Fred Astaire biopic has added Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley to its cast, bringing two contemporary stars into a story rooted in Hollywood’s golden age. Tom Holland is set to play Astaire in the untitled film, which is being shaped around the performer’s journey from stage sensation to screen icon. With its Broadway roots, dance history and old-school musical pedigree, the project has plenty of period-Hollywood texture to work with.

The casting also creates an unexpected modern connection, with Carpenter and Qualley stepping into two very different chapters of Astaire’s professional life.

Deadline reported that the Fred Astaire biopic has now added Sabrina Carpenter as Ginger Rogers and Margaret Qualley as Adele Astaire, putting both actors alongside Tom Holland as the project moves further into development. The casting is particularly intriguing because Rogers and Adele occupied very different places in Astaire’s story, with one becoming his defining screen partner and the other sharing his earliest professional rise.

For Sabrina Carpenter, the role marks a striking detour into classic Hollywood territory. Rogers appeared with Astaire in 10 films, including Top Hat and Swing Time, while their partnership became one of the defining screen pairings of the 1930s. Qualley, meanwhile, will portray Adele, Fred’s older sister and his original stage partner, with the siblings performing together on Broadway and in London’s West End before Fred eventually leapt to Hollywood.

The development, as per Deadline, arrives almost five years after Holland first revealed that he would lead the project.

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And that sibling history gives the film a much wider runway than a straightforward Hollywood-star biopic.

Before Fred Astaire became synonymous with tuxedos, top hats and impossibly precise footwork, he was half of a celebrated stage act with Adele Astaire. Their partnership was already established on Broadway and in London before Adele Astaire’s marriage and retirement changed the trajectory of her brother's career.

Turner Classic Movies notes that after the older sibling left the act, Fred Astaire eventually headed toward Hollywood, where his screen partnership with Ginger Rogers emerged after their first meeting in Flying Down to Rio.

Rogers, meanwhile, was not simply a supporting figure in the Astaire mythology. Their films helped define the visual language of the 1930s musical, from the Art Deco elegance of Top Hat to the elaborate dance sequences of Swing Time. Their RKO run was a major part of the era’s musical identity, with Astaire’s full-body dance style and Rogers’ performances becoming central to the appeal.

The new biopic therefore has three distinct performance histories to weave together: Fred and Adele Astaire’s stage partnership, Astaire and Rogers' cinematic chemistry, and Tom Holland’s interpretation of the man who connected both worlds.

Paul King is directing the film, with Amy Pascal and Rachel O’Connor among its producers, while Astaire’s family is also involved through Ava Astaire McKenzie and consultant and co-producer Tyler McKenzie.

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What do you think about Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley joining the Fred Astaire biopic? Share your thoughts in the comments.