The Grammy winner said she’s eager to bring Baker’s “fight, her love, her losses, her talent and her heroism to the big screen.”

FKA Twigs to star in biopic of Jazz Age icon Josephine Baker from director of controversial Cuties

The Grammy winner said she's eager to bring Baker's "fight, her love, her losses, her talent and her heroism to the big screen."

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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May 11, 2026 11:53 p.m. ET

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FKA Twigs in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, and Josephine Baker in France circa 1928. Credit:

Lester Cohen/Getty; Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty

- Multi-hyphenate talent FKA Twigs will appear as 1920s Jazz Age legend Josephine Baker in a new biopic.

- The feature will be written and directed by *Cuties *filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré.

- StudioCanal produces alongside Bien ou Bien Productions with the support of Baker’s sons.

FKA Twigs is set to bring Josephine Baker back to the big screen, when she portrays the Jazz Age icon in a new biopic.

The Grammy-winning musician and dancer is becoming increasingly well-known as an actress, following supporting roles in films like this year's Anne Hathaway-led pop fantasia *Mother Mary* and last year's remake of the cult classic *The Crow*.

But the as-yet-untitled Baker biopic will mark her first leading role as an actress, to be directed by the French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré, best known for her controversial 2020 film *Cuties*.

FKA Twigs in London in 2024.

Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty

"Josephine Baker’s extraordinary legacy is such an inspiration to me and to so many people around the world," Twigs shared in a statement on Monday. "She lives on in our hearts as a visionary, ground-breaking woman whose story is as powerful as it is relevant today. I cannot wait to embody Josephine Baker bringing her fight, her love, her losses, her talent and her heroism to the big screen."

Doucouré added, "Josephine Baker has lived with me for years. Working on this film, I realize how modern, fearless and complex she was. Beyond the legend, I want to explore her contradictions, her wounds and her immense courage, as well as her relentless fight for dignity. With the extraordinary FKA Twigs bringing her rare artistry, intelligence and emotional depth to the role, it is a huge honor 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."

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As Doucouré noted, the film is a joint venture of the French production mega-hub StudioCanal and Bien ou Bien Productions, which produced *Cuties *and Doucouré's 2022 follow-up, *Hawa*. StudioCanal announced it will launch worldwide sales at Cannes and release theatrically in its territories of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Two of Baker's 12 adult children — Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker — are attached to support the development of the film, which is scheduled to shoot this fall.

Josephine Baker.

General Photographic Agency/Getty

Josephine Baker's storied life was indeed made for the movies. Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis in 1906, Baker set about dedicating her life to defying stereotypes, breaking conventions, and setting records at every opportunity.

She became one of the first Black women to ever appear in a film, with her turn in the 1927 silent film *Siren of the Tropics*. She became a resistance fighter for her adopted homeland of France during WWII, leading to her being named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by revered general and future President Charles de Gaulle. Her dancing career made her an enduring sensation and took her around the world.

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Twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, is also an adept dancer. She rose from the ranks of backup dancing in music videos by artists like Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran to release her own music, choreograph her own videos, and mastermind raved-about live experiences. She first appeared in the 2019 film *Honey Boy*, starring her ex, Shia LaBeouf, and most recently appeared in 2026's Anne Hathaway-starring film *Mother Mary*.

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