Tomi Adeyemi is doubling down on her decision to not watch the upcoming film adaptation of her book, completely closing the door on book-to-film adaptations after what she experienced making Children of Blood and Bone.
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The bestselling author opened up about the upcoming fantasy film in a new interview with The Guardian, revealing that the production took a serious toll on her and saying she will “never” turn another one of her books into a movie.
Adeyemi first spoke publicly about her experience in late July, when she shared a TikTok video criticizing the adaptation. At the time, she called the production “the worst thing I have ever had to live through,” saying she spent time on set “hyperventilating and sobbing.”
She also claimed she was “still being antagonized behind the scenes.” After returning to the U.S. once filming wrapped, Adeyemi said she dealt with “severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks.”
Speaking to The Guardian about the viral TikTok, Adeyemi said she felt she had to address what happened before she could move on.
“I understood that if I didn’t speak up, I couldn’t move forward,” she said. “I can’t really worry about the response, because I don’t have to live with how people respond to me – I have to live with me, every day.”
Adeyemi has not gone into detail about what specifically happened during production, telling the publication, “I won’t go into the specifics.”
Still, she described the entire process of bringing her trilogy to the big screen as an experience that demanded everything from her.
“The whole journey of the trilogy and the adaptation felt biblical … It took all of me,” she said.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Children of Blood and Bone boasts a star-studded cast featuring Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Regina King, Idris Elba and Viola Davis.
The casting of Stenberg also sparked discussions among fans about colorism. In Adeyemi’s books, Stenberg’s character is described as having “dark copper skin.”
In a TikTok video posted and later deleted in early July, Adeyemi appeared to share a group chat that included Stenberg. According to the Los Angeles Times, Adeyemi wrote, “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me,” before appearing to block the actress.
When The Guardian asked Adeyemi whether she wanted to clarify her position on Stenberg’s casting, the author emphasized the difference between having creative control over her books and the filmmaking process.
“With a film, the director makes every decision. With my book I can talk about every choice down to the commas, because that’s truly in my hands,” she said. “So there’s nothing for me to add, other than the clarity that these aren’t my choices.”
Despite the anticipation surrounding the film, Adeyemi said she has no plans to see the finished product herself.
“I still don’t plan to watch it, but it’s not really for me to watch,” she said.
She echoed those same sentiments during a recent interview on GMA, calling her experience on set “the worst thing I have ever had to live through.
“There are things that occurred behind the scenes that put me in jeopardy,” calling the issues “a lot more than a creative misalignment.”
Children of Blood and Bone is scheduled to hit theaters on Jan. 15.
