FKA Twigs confirms Josephine Baker biopic: “She lives on in our hearts as a visionary”
FKA Twigs has been officially confirmed to play Josephine Baker in a new biopic.
The upcoming film will chart Baker’s remarkable life, which saw her leave the United States behind and become one of the most recognisable entertainers in French history.
French director Maïmouna Doucouré will be writing and directing the movie, which is heading to Cannes Film Festival this week in order to seek international sales. It is scheduled to begin shooting later this year.
StudioCanal are joining forces with Bien ou Bien Productions on the film, which has the full backing of Baker’s surviving sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker.
In a statement, Twigs, real name Tahliah Barnett, said of taking on the role, “I am honoured to collaborate with the immensely talented Maïmouna Doucouré on this incredible project. Josephine Baker’s extraordinary legacy is such an inspiration to me and to so many people around the world.”
She added, “She lives on in our hearts as a visionary, ground-breaking woman whose story is as powerful as it is relevant today.”
Barnett concluded, “I cannot wait to embody Josephine Baker bringing her fight, her love, her losses, her talent and her heroism to the big screen.”
While Barnett is primarily known for her music career, she has been acting more frequently in recent years, with her credits including Mother Mary, The Crow, and The Carpenter’s Son.
In addition to the biopic celebrating Baker’s life, she is also set to star alongside Chloë Sevigny in the upcoming erotic thriller, The Lonely Woman, directed by Boy Harsher.
More information regarding the cast of the Josephine Baker biopic and its release date has not yet been revealed.
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