Alt-R&B Singer Cast as Jazz Age Icon in Major New Biopic

FKA Twigs is set to portray Jazz Age singer Josephine Baker in an upcoming biopic.

The untitled film aims to tell the legacy of the cabaret performer. She was born in 1906 and grew up in St. Louis before running away. She eventually moved to Paris, where she rose to stardom.

Baker is known for her performance at the Folies Bergère music hall, wearing a skirt made of 16 bananas. This show became a major turning point in her career. In 1927, she became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture. She continued her dancing, acting, and singing career in films such as Zou Zou (1934) and Princesse Tam-Tam (1935)

Her impact grew beyond performances. The singer joined the French Resistance during World War II and became an important voice for the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Soon, her story will reach the big screen.

According to Variety, Twigs (born Tahliah Debrett Barnett) had been in negotiations to star in Baker’s biopic before officially being cast.

“I am honored to collaborate with the immensely talented Maïmouna Doucouré on this incredible project,” Twigs said in a statement on Monday, May 11. “I cannot wait to embody Josephine Baker bringing her fight, her love, her losses, her talent and her heroism to the big screen.”

The Grammy Award-winning singer had her acting debut with the 2019 film HoneyBoy. Since then, she has appeared in The Crow (2024) and Mother Mary (2026).

Twigs’ first album was released in 2014. She is known for genre-bending with her main styles ranging between alternative R&B and electronic. Her most popular songs include “cellophane,” “Two Weeks,” and “oh my love.”

The singer is ready to share Baker’s story. 

“Josephine Baker’s extraordinary legacy is such an inspiration to me and to so many people around the world. She lives on in our hearts as a visionary, groundbreaking woman whose story is as powerful as it is relevant today,” the actress said.

The film is being developed with the support of Baker’s sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, along with the Rainbow tribe, which is what she called her 12 adopted children.

Maimouna Doucouré will write, produce, and direct the movie.

“Josephine Baker has lived with me for years. Working on this film, I realize how modern, fearless and complex she was,” 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.”

The filmmaker added, “With the extraordinary FKA Twigs bringing her rare artistry, intelligence and emotional depth to the role, it is a huge honour 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.”

There is currently no release date for the film.