FKA Twigs Cast as Jazz Icon in New Biopic After Mother Mary Role

FKA Twigs has reportedly landed her next acting role, following her supporting appearance in Mother Mary. The actress and singer will play an iconic jazz musician in an upcoming feature biopic. The film was previously announced in 2022, with plans to shoot the following year.

FKA Twigs to play Josephine Baker in new biopic movie

FKA Twigs has been cast as Josephine Baker in a new untitled biopic from StudioCanal. This will be her first leading role as an actress following her supporting appearances in Mother Mary, The Crow, and The Carpenter’s Son.

Maïmouna Doucouré, known for her controversial coming-of-age French drama Mignonnes, aka Cuties, will write and helm the film. The director’s other credits include Hawa and the short movie Maman(s).

Production will commence in the fall (via Entertainment Weekly). StudioCanal will co-produce with Bien ou Bien Productions, which previously produced Cuties and Hawa. Meanwhile, the former will launch worldwide sales at Cannes, releasing the movie theatrically in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Baker’s sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon and Brian Bouillon, and the Rainbow Tribe will support the film’s development.

Born Freda Josephine McDonald and hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, she rose to prominence as one of the most celebrated international performers of the 20th century. After arriving in Paris in 1925, Baker established herself as a dancer, singer, and actress, gaining recognition for her charisma, originality, and powerful stage presence. Two years later, in 1927, she made history as the first Black woman to appear in a major motion picture, starring in Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant’s Siren of the Tropics.

Baker also became known for her activism and work outside of entertainment. She aided the French resistance during World War II, using her fame to fight fascism. Following the war, she received multiple honors for her efforts. These include:

• The Resistance Medal from the French Committee of National Liberation.
• The Croix de Guerre from the French military.
• Named Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by Charles de Gaulle.
• Induction into the Panthéon in Paris in November 2021.

In addition, she played a key role during the American civil rights movement, appearing alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at the 1963 March on Washington.