Tom Holland cast as Fred Astaire in forthcoming Sony biopic

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Tom Holland is set to star as Fred Astaire in a forthcoming biopic.

The Spider-Man star was first linked to the project after Sony producer Amy Pascal said that she wanted Holland to play the role.

However, speaking at an event in London on Sunday (5 December) night, Holland confirmed that he would be taking the part in the currently unnamed project, telling AP: “Oh, I am playing Fred Astaire. Yeah, I am.”

He added that he was still yet to read the script.

“I haven’t read it yet. They haven’t given it to me,” he said. “Amy Pascal has the script. She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath and we had a lovely FaceTime.”

Born in 1899, Astaire was best known for his performances in dance films such as Top Hat and collaboration with dance partner Ginger Rogers. He is often considered to be the greatest dancer in film history.

While Holland has focused more on action in his latest projects, he has a background in dance, having played the title role in Billy Elliott: The Musical from 2008 to 2010.

He also famously wowed fans with a performance to Rihanna’s “Umbrella” while appearing on Lip Sync Battle in 2017.

Holland can next be seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is released on Wednesday 15 December.