FKA Twigs to Star as Josephine Baker in Movie Biopic Filming This Fall

FKA Twigs will star as Jazz Age icon Josephine Baker in a new biopic from “Cuties” filmmaker Maimouna Doucouré, which begins filming this fall.

Variety previously reported that the Grammy-winning artist was in negotiations to portray the trailblazing American-born dancer, singer, actor and civil rights activist in the film, which is financed and co-produced by Studiocanal. With Twigs and Doucouré’s deals officially closed, Studiocanal will launch worldwide sales for the project at Cannes.

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“I am honored to collaborate with the immensely talented Maïmouna Doucouré on this incredible project,” said FKA Twigs, who most recently acted in A24’s “Mother Mary,” in a statement. “Josephine Baker’s extraordinary legacy is such an inspiration to me and to so many people around the world. She lives on in our hearts as a visionary, groundbreaking woman whose story is as powerful as it is relevant today. I cannot wait to embody Josephine Baker bringing her fight, her love, her losses, her talent and her heroism to the big screen.”

The yet-to-be-titled biopic intends to cover Baker’s remarkable life story: born in St. Louis in 1906, she rose to fame after moving to Paris in 1925. But Baker’s legacy resonates far beyond the stage. During World War II, she joined the French Resistance, supporting the Allied nations in the fight against fascism; then, in the 1950s and 1960s, Baker became a prominent voice in the American Civil Rights Movement.

The project is in development with the support of Baker’s sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, and the Rainbow tribe, which is what she dubbed her many adopted children.

In addition to writing and directing the movie, Doucouré will produce under her Bien Ou Bien Prods. banner, alongside Studiocanal and CPB Films.

“Josephine Baker has lived with me for years. Working on this film, I realize how modern, fearless and complex she was,” the filmmaker said. “Beyond the legend, I want to explore her contradictions, her wounds and her immense courage, as well as her relentless fight for dignity.”

Doucouré added: “With the extraordinary FKA Twigs bringing her rare artistry, intelligence and emotional depth to the role, it is a huge honour to work with Studiocanal to bring Josephine’s story to the screen for a global audience: the story of a woman who never stopped reinventing herself and fighting for justice and equality.”

Studiocanal will release the film theatrically in their territories of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand.

“Josephine Baker’s story is one we have long aspired to tell, and to do so with the exceptional creative vision of Maïmouna Doucouré and the remarkable talent of FKA Twigs makes this project especially meaningful,” said Anna Marsh, Studiocanal CEO and chief content officer of Canal+ Group. “Their artistry, combined with Josephine Baker’s enduring legacy, promises a film that is both ambitious and profoundly authentic.”

FKA Twigs is represented by UTA, Untitled, UROK and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole; and Doucouré is represented by UBBA in France and CAA in the U.S.