That Paul King–directed Fred Astaire biopic, which is supposed to star Tom Holland, has hit a legal roadblock over at Sony. Astaire’s widow says the movie never got the green light from the estate.
TMZ has obtained a legal letter from his widow, Robyn Astaire, which was sent over to producer Amy Pascal — where she makes it clear she has not authorized or granted permission for any portrayal of her late husband in a biopic, or in any other film. In the letter, Robyn says Fred “was explicit in his Will that he did not want his life story to be depicted on screen” … and she says she “fully respects and upholds those wishes.” She has threatened legal action if producers claim she authorized the biopic.
So, there you have it — Astaire is saying, from beyond the grave, to not go ahead with this film. How much more do Sony, Holland and King need before they recognize that the project lacks both moral and artistic legitimacy? At some point, continuing in spite of the family’s explicit objections would turn into willful disregard for the wishes of the very person the film claims to honor.
The biopic, which has been in development since 2021, is based on an autobiography of the late actor. King co-wrote the screenplay with Lee Hall. In November 2023, Holland stated that “we are working towards it as if it’s happening,” and hoped to shoot the film in 2024. That clearly never materialized.
There have been plenty of rumors about who would join Holland in the cast, and one of the names that kept coming up was Isabelle Huppert as Astaire’s mother. Emma Stone was also speculated to play his wife, but that rumor was never confirmed.
Astaire was one of Hollywood’s most iconic performers — a dancer, singer, and actor whose precision, creativity and influence helped define the golden age of movie musicals. His partnership with Ginger Rogers remains legendary in “Top Hat,” “Swing Time,” and my personal favorite, his late-career masterpiece “The Band Wagon.”