FKA Twigs to star as Josephine Baker in new biopic
FKA Twigs is in talks to star as Josephine Baker in a new biopic detailing the life story of the French performer.
Variety has reported that filmmaker Maimouna Doucouré will direct the project, while Studiocanal are on board to finance and produce the movie.
Notably, the biopic has the seal of approval from Baker’s sons Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, as well as the Rainbow Tribe, the name she gave to her many adopted children.
However, further details on the film, including its title, further casting, and a release date has not yet been revealed.
Baker was a trailblazing entertainer and civil rights activist, who became the first Black woman to star in a major movie production, Siren of the Tropics, in 1927.
Her iconic costumes became synonymous with the Jazz Age and Roaring ‘20s eras, cementing her as a pivotal figure in cinema history and culture at large.
The new movie comes as the latest project for FKA Twigs, real name Tahliah Barnett, where she is also starring in the upcoming films Mother Mary, Brighton Beach, and The Carpenter’s Son, in the latter of which she will appear opposite Nicholas Cage.
The singer’s latest third studio album, Eusexua, was released in January this year and went on to receive critical praise for its avant-pop approach.
For the part of director Doucouré, the upcoming Baker biopic will mark her return to the filmmaking stage since her movie Hawa premiered at the Toronto Film Festival three years ago.
Prior to this, her most well-known effort Cuties, which was released in 2020, told the story of children caught up between sexual awakenings and cultural values. However, the film attracted controversy due to the nature of its subject matter when it was released on Netflix.
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