Tom Holland’s Next Move: Performing All Dance Scenes as Fred Astaire Without a Stunt Double
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Tom Holland—currently sandwiched between two intense back-to-back promotional tours for the major blockbusters The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day—is preparing for his next project: portraying the iconic classic cinema dancer and actor Fred Astaire.
Holland, who is set to play the legendary entertainer in an upcoming biographical film, revealed that he has officially begun rehearsals for the project—a film first officially announced five years ago.
Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, Holland explained: “As soon as these press tours are done, I’m back in the dance studio. I’ve done my first couple of rehearsals recently, which terrifies me and excites me in equal measure, because trying to honor Fred Astaire is going to take a lot of work.”
According to Holland, he intends to perform all of the film’s dance sequences himself without using any stunt doubles. Furthermore, these scenes are planned to be shot in continuous single takes (long takes)—faithfully mirroring the signature style Fred Astaire showcased in his own works.
The following day, in another interview on Live with Kelly and Mark, he reflected on his career trajectory, noting that having The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day release within weeks of each other feels like the conclusion of the first chapter of his acting career, leaving him ready to step into more mature and serious roles. “What I’m looking for in this new chapter is the ultimate challenge and finding roles that genuinely scare me,” Holland said.
While Holland is no stranger to the world of dance—having achieved his first major breakthrough at a young age starring in Billy Elliot the Musical in London’s West End—he admitted that one of his biggest regrets was abandoning dance after that production ended.
Playing Fred Astaire offers him the chance to put on his dancing shoes once again. He also revealed that he is conducting his new rehearsals at the exact same dance studio in Central London where he trained for Billy Elliot years ago.
