Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers biopic with Jamie Bell and Margaret Qualley dances at EFM with Black Bear, 30West, UTA & ‘La La Land’ producers

EXCLUSIVE: Black Bear International has started international sales Fred and Gingerthe musical about the passionate and explosive relationship between Hollywood dance legends Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

The project was previously pitched at Amazon, but is headed to the open market with Black Bear and financier 30West (The Triangle of Sadness) now on board. UTA Independent Film Group and 30WEST will jointly represent the US rights.

As previously known, BAFTA winner Jamie Bell (Billy Eliot) plays Astaire, the technically driven perfectionist, alongside Margaret Qualley (Once in Hollywood) as the naturally gifted Rogers. The film is expected to go into production later this year.

Jonathan Entwistle (The end of the damn world) directed from a screenplay by writer Arash Amel (The Ministry of Sinister Warfare).

Hollywood icons Astaire and Rogers starred in ten films together, beginning with Flight to Rio 1933 and ending with The Barkleys of Broadway in 1949. The duo revolutionized the musical film genre, stunning audiences with their inventive flair. This film focuses on a pivotal point in her early career when their opposing dance styles and rivalry threatened to shatter their legendary partnership.

rocket man Star Bell showed off his skills as a dancer during his breakout performance in the 2000s Billy Eliot. Qualley has appeared as a dancer in FXs Foss/Verdon and the viral Kenzo perfume ad directed by Spike Jonze.

Grammy-winning music producer Marius de Vries (the country) works with Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon (MJ the musical) and Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear and Emmy nominee Mark Sonnenblick to recreate the music and dance numbers for which the couple is known.

Fred Berger (the country) and Brian Kavanuagh-Jones (Bad education) by Automatic with Max Minghella (teenage spirit) along with Bell, Qualley, Amel and Entwistle. 30WEST will act as executive producer and provide full funding.

“Margaret and Jamie were born to portray this legendary dance duo,” says producer Fred Berger. of the theatre”.

“Nothing is more important to buyers around the world than life-affirming and original entertainment that feels truly theatrical,” added John Friedberg, president of Black Bear International. “Fred and Ginger meet all these requirements and more. It’s a phenomenal story with a perfect cast and we couldn’t be more excited to bring it to market with our good friends at AUTOMATIC and 30WEST.”

As is often the case, a “competing” Fred Astaire project is in the works. Sony has a biopic of the dancer starring Tom Holland. THR had an update today Paddington Filmmaker Paul King is on board to direct, though a start date is not imminent. Lee Hall is working on the script.

Bell will next be seen in Andrew Haigh’s strangers with Paul Mescal and Claire Foy and in Anthony Mandlers surround for MGM.

Most recently, Qualley starred in a Netflix series Domestic worker. Soon she will play the lead role refuge, with Christopher Abbott, for NEON; Ethan Coen’s self-titled Focus Features project; Yorgos Lanthimos Poor stuff And And, both for searchlights; And The fabricfor working titles and universals.

Qualley is repped by UTA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Bell is repped by UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment, as well as Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Entwistle is repped by CAA, 42 and Grandview. Amel is represented by Grandview and Myman Greenspan. Wheeldon is repped by CAA. Sonnenblick is represented by CAA. Barlow and Bear are repped by CAA and Richard Kraft at Kraft-Engel; Barlow is also represented by David Ferrerria at Mark Music & Media Law; Bear is also represented by Adam Mersel at Immersive Management and Ken Hertz at Hertz Lichtenstein & Young.