Tom Holland Vows to Skip Dance Doubles for Fred Astaire Biopic

Tom Holland says he intends to perform every dance sequence himself in his upcoming Fred Astaire biopic, with no stand-ins and no editing tricks to smooth over the choreography.

Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America,” Holland described his ambitions for the long-delayed project, which he first signed onto nearly five years ago. He said he wants to shoot the film’s dance numbers in single continuous takes, mirroring how Astaire himself insisted on filming, a style that famously avoided quick cuts so audiences could see the full performance unbroken. “I have a desire to use no doubles, to do all of the dancing, to shoot those dances in one shot,” he said, adding that his goal is to “do Fred proud.”

Holland is currently juggling promotion for two summer releases, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which opens July 31. He said he has already squeezed in early rehearsals and plans to return full-time to the studio once both press tours wrap. He described the sessions so far as both thrilling and daunting, given the technical demands ahead of him.

The actor isn’t approaching Astaire’s footwork cold. Long before Marvel cast him as Spider-Man, Holland spent two years in the title role of “Billy Elliot the Musical” on the West End, a run built around demanding dance sequences. He called walking away from dance after that show one of his regrets, and said preparing for Astaire has brought him back to the same central London studio where he trained as a teenager.

The biopic, in development since 2021, is being directed by Paul King, known for “Paddington” and “Wonka,” from a script by Steven Levenson. Amy Pascal, Rachael O’Connor, Ben Holden and Josh Hyams are producing for Sony. Astaire, who died in 1987, built a seven-decade career on Broadway, in the West End and across Hollywood musicals including “Top Hat,” “Swing Time” and “The Band Wagon,” collecting an honorary Oscar, a Grammy and multiple Emmys and Golden Globes along the way.