According to Deadline, FKA Twigs has been officially confirmed to portray legendary Jazz Age entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker in an upcoming biopic directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, with Studiocanal launching international sales at the Cannes Market ahead of a fall shoot.
A Dream Lead — But Who Fills Out the Rest of the Cast?
FKA Twigs is a genuinely thrilling choice for Baker — a performer whose artistry, physicality, and boundary-defying persona feel almost cosmically aligned with the role. But a biopic about Josephine Baker isn't a one-woman show. Baker's life was populated by extraordinary figures: her mother Carrie, her sister Freda, her sparring partner and fellow cabaret legend Ada "Bricktop" Smith, collaborators, lovers, and the sweeping cast of characters who shaped one of the 20th century's most remarkable lives. The real casting conversation has only just begun.
For myCast users, this is a once-in-a-generation fancasting opportunity. A story this rich in historical drama, cultural significance, and larger-than-life personalities is exactly the kind of project that deserves a fully assembled dream cast — not just a lead.
What myCast Fans Are Already Saying
The myCast community has been ahead of this conversation for a while. Over at Chasing Rainbows: The Josephine Baker Story, fans have been piecing together their ideal ensemble across 8 roles, and the picks are genuinely compelling. Leading the vote totals are two roles that will be absolutely central to any serious Baker biopic.
For Freda McDonald, Baker's sister and a significant figure in her early life, Ruth Negga has earned 4 votes — a pick that makes a lot of sense. Negga brings quiet intensity and a period-drama credibility (see: Passing) that would translate beautifully to the Jazz Age. Equally, fans have cast Tessa Thompson as Ada "Bricktop" Smith with 4 votes — and honestly, it's hard to argue. Thompson has the charisma and the range to hold her own opposite Twigs in what could be one of the most electric on-screen pairings in recent memory.
Elsewhere in that story, fans have tapped Viola Davis for Carrie McDonald, Baker's mother, with 1 vote — a casting choice that would bring enormous gravitas to the family dynamics at the heart of the story. has also been suggested for Michael King Jr. with 1 vote. And in a fun meta-moment, the community has even slotted director into the writer and director credits of the story itself, a nod to the real-world news that's now come to pass.