Key Takeaways
- FKA twigs has been cast to portray Josephine Baker in a new biopic directed by Maïmouna Doucouré.
- The film is the first major project about Josephine’s life to receive her estate’s official approval, with support from her surviving sons.
- STUDIOCANAL will finance and co-produce the project, with international sales launching at Cannes and filming set to begin this fall.
We’re living in the golden age of biopics. On Monday (May 11), FKA twigs was confirmed to play the legendary Josephine Baker in an upcoming feature film from Cuties director Maïmouna Doucouré.
Slated to begin filming in the fall, the Grammy-winning singer will have the remarkable honor of leading the first project about Josephine’s life to receive her estate’s blessing. “I cannot wait to embody Josephine Baker, bringing her fight, her love, her losses, her talent, and her heroism to the big screen,” twigs shared in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “She lives on in our hearts as a visionary, groundbreaking woman whose story is as powerful as it is relevant today.”
STUDIOCANAL, which is financing and co-producing the project, will introduce international sales at the Cannes Film Festival. Perhaps even more exciting, the biopic is being developed with support from Josephine’s surviving sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, both of whom were originally part of Baker’s adopted "Rainbow Tribe."
Why FKA twigs is a strong choice to portray Josephine Baker
Apart from their resemblance and shared talents in music and acting, twigs is debatably the perfect pick to play Josephine. Having recently appeared in A24’s Mother Mary, the CAPRISONGS artist’s previous roles include 2019’s Honey Boy, Rupert Sanders’ 2024 reboot of The Crow, and last year’s The Carpenter’s Son.
“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,” Doucouré told Variety about partnering with twigs and STUDIOCANAL.
“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,” STUDIOCANAL CEO Anna Marsh said. “Their artistry, combined with Josephine Baker’s enduring legacy, promises a film that is both ambitious and profoundly authentic.”
What viewers can expect from the upcoming Josephine Baker biopic
While it might be some time before we get more concrete details about the biopic, it seems inevitable that the film will trace Josephine’s journey from St. Louis to becoming an icon of the Jazz Age in Paris, along with glimpses into parts of her life many aren’t familiar with. “Beyond the legend, I want to explore her contradictions, her wounds, and her immense courage, as well as her relentless fight for dignity,” Doucouré shared.