FKA twigs has officially been cast as legendary performer and civil rights figure Josephine Baker in an upcoming biographical film directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, with production scheduled to begin this fall.
The project, which has been in development for several years, will explore Baker’s life as a global entertainment icon, wartime resistance member, and civil rights activist. The film is backed by Studiocanal and Bien ou Bien Productions, with international sales launching at the Cannes Film Festival.
In a statement, Twigs described Baker as a figure whose legacy continues to resonate across generations, noting that she is “such an inspiration” and calling the role an opportunity to portray Baker’s “fight, love, losses, talent and heroism.”
Doucouré, who previously directed Cuties and Hawa, said the project has been with her for years. She emphasized her intention to explore Baker beyond her public image, focusing on her contradictions, personal struggles, and enduring pursuit of dignity.
“Josephine Baker has lived with me for years,” Doucouré said. “Beyond the legend, I want to explore her contradictions, her wounds and her immense courage, as well as her relentless fight for dignity.”
Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis in 1906, Baker rose to international fame in Paris during the 1920s, becoming one of the defining performers of the Jazz Age. Her performances at venues such as the Folies Bergère helped make her one of Europe’s most recognizable entertainers at a time when Black performers faced significant barriers in the United States.
Beyond her career in entertainment, Baker played an active role during World War II, working with the French Resistance and assisting Allied intelligence efforts. For her service, she received honors including the Croix de Guerre and the Resistance Medal. She was later named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by French leader Charles de Gaulle.
Baker also became a prominent voice in the American civil rights movement. She refused to perform for segregated audiences and later spoke at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr.. In 2021, she was inducted into France’s Panthéon, becoming the first Black woman to receive the honor.
Twigs, known for her genre-defying music and visual artistry, has steadily built her acting résumé in recent years. Her credits include Honey Boy, The Crow, and Mother Mary, where she appears alongside Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel.
The casting adds to a long history of attempts to bring Baker’s story to the screen. The most widely known adaptation remains The Josephine Baker Story starring Lynn Whitfield, while other versions, including both Ruth Negga and Janelle Monáe have previously been attached to separate adaptations, have circulated in development over the years.
What distinguishes the Doucouré film, is the full endorsement of Baker’s family.
The biopic has been developed with the direct involvement of Baker’s surviving sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, both members of the Rainbow Tribe: the multi-ethnic group of 12 children Baker adopted and raised at her château in southwest France beginning in the 1950s. That family endorsement lends the production a layer of authenticity and access that prior attempts simply didn’t carry.
With Doucouré directing and Twigs leading the cast, the film now moves into its next stage of production as one of the most anticipated biographical projects currently in development around Baker’s life and legacy.