Fox Photos/Hulton Archive via Getty Images

By January Nelson
January Nelson

Holland began dancing in “Billy Elliot the Musical” in the West End, and walked the dance floor the day it finished. Now he returns to the London studio where it all began, this time to be Fred Astaire.

Fred Astaire and his sister Adele dancing on the roof of the Savoy Hotel in London, 1923
Fred Astaire and his sister Adele danced at London’s Savoy Hotel in June 1923, years before Fred became a Hollywood legend. Photo via Fox Photos / Hulton Archive via Getty Images.

The Fred Astaire biopic was announced five years ago, and Holland recently held its first rehearsal, during back-to-back press tours for “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

Tom Holland at the New York premiere "The Odyssey" at the AMC Lincoln Square Theatre
At the AMC Lincoln Square Theater on July 14, 2026, Tom Holland appeared in the New York City premiere of “The Odyssey.” Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in a scene from the 1938 musical film Carefree
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers together in a scene from the 1938 RKO musical comedy ‘Carefree,’ directed by Mark Sandrich. Photo by Hulton Archive / Getty Images.

“As soon as I finish this tour, I’m going back to the dance studio,” he told George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America.” Those first moments worried him. He said they filled him with “great joy and fear because I have a lot of work to do to try to make Fred proud.”

Fred Astaire in a photo taken in 1956.
Fred Astaire posed for photos on July 31, 1956, the year he cemented his legacy as one of Hollywood’s greatest actors. Photo by Stanley Sherman / Hulton Archive via Getty Images.

His plan is to match the way Astaire really worked: “no doubles, doing all the dancing.” [myself]shooting those dances in one shot.” On “Live With Kelly and Mark” the next day, he performed his role as the closing act of his first act and entered into a daunting task. “What I’m looking for in this next chapter is like a big challenge, and finding things that scare me a lot.”

Tom Holland at the Paris premiere of "The Odyssey" in July 2026
Tom Holland steps out at the Paris premiere of “The Odyssey” on July 8, 2026. Photo by Aurore Marechal / Getty Images.

One regret drives it. After “Billy Elliot,” she quit dancing, and the biopic returns her to the central London studio where she first practiced as a child.

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About the author

January Nelson

January Nelson

January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. He writes about astrology, sports, love, relationships and entertainment. January graduated with a degree in English and Literature from Columbia University.