FKA Twigs will play the mother of Jesus in a new horror film alongside actor Nicolas Cage.
As per Deadline, Twigs has been cast in The Carpenter’s Son, a horror film centred around Jesus’ childhood. Twigs will play the role of “the Mother”, according to the outlet, alongside Cage, who will play “the Carpenter” and Noah Jupe, who will play “the Boy”.
The film was written and directed by Lotfy Nathan, whose debut feature Harka premiered at Cannes back in 2022.
According to the official synopsis of the film: “The Carpenter’s Son tells the dark story of a family hiding out in Roman Egypt. The son, known only as ‘the Boy’, is driven to doubt by another mysterious child and rebels against his guardian, the Carpenter, revealing inherent powers and a fate beyond his comprehension. As he exercises his own power, the Boy and his family become the target of horrors, natural and divine.”
It comes as Twigs will also star in another horror this summer with the remake of The Crow.
Last week, Twigs revealed that she has developed her own deepfake version of herself, specifically to interact with fans online.
The British singer-songwriter – whose real name is Tahliah Barnett – revealed the news of the AI development in a recent written testimony, where she explained how artificial intelligence can be used when an artist gives their consent.
Deepfakes are created using artificial intelligence to make a photo or video of someone by manipulating their face or body. According to a report by Rolling Stone, the online version of the artist will go by ‘AI Twigs’, and will be rolled out later this year to help her maintain a connection with fans online while she focuses on making new music.
“In the past year, I have developed my own deepfake version of myself that is not only trained in my personality but also can use my exact tone of voice to speak many languages,” she wrote in the testimony.
“I will be engaging my AI Twigs later this year to extend my reach and handle my online social media interactions, whilst I continue to focus on my art from the comfort and solace of my studio.
“These and similar emerging technologies are highly valuable tools both artistically and commercially when under the control of the artist.”
The singer put forward the testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property in Washington D.C. last week (April 30). It comes in regard to the ‘No Fakes’ Act, which has been developed with the aim of protecting public figures from the unauthorised use of names, images and likenesses for AI.
Her testimony shed light on the issues that may arise if artificial intelligence technologies are not properly regulated, as well as warning that it could put the careers and livelihoods of celebrities in jeopardy.
“That the very essence of our being at its most human level can be violated by the unscrupulous use of AI to create a digital facsimile that purports to be us, and our work, is inherently wrong,” she wrote.
“It is therefore vital that as an industry and as legislators we work together to ensure we do all we can to protect our creative and intellectual rights as well as the very basis of who we are.”