There is plenty to be excited about regarding the new film Children of Blood and Bone, but could some drama involving the book’s author and “colorism” derail this promising-looking film?
When the first trailer for Children of Blood and Bone arrived, there was plenty of excitement revolving around the film, based on Tomi Adeyemi’s book of the same name.
What Is Children of Blood and Bone About?
The movie, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, which will be one of the first highly anticipated releases of the year when it arrives in theaters on January 15, 2027, is based on the first novel in Adeyemi’s Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, which follows Zelie (Thuso Mbedu) as she tries to restore magic to the land after King Saran (Chiwetel Ejiofor) purged it.
The film reunites Mbedu with Bythewood and Viola Davis, who plays Mama Agba, as well as Lashana Lynch, who will portray Zelie’s magic-using mother, Jumoke, all of whom worked together on The Woman King. Jumoke who is taken by King Saran’s men. While Saran is dead serious about banning magic, his son, Prince Inan (Damson Idris), is not on the same page with his father regarding his feelings towards magic use.
The film also stars Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), who will portray Admiral Kaea; Idris Elba (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) will play Lekan, Regina King (Shirley) will appear as Queen Nehanda, Diaana Babnicova, who will portray Folake, Buuky Bakray will portray Binta, Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give, The Acolyte) will portray Amari and Tosin Cole (Supacell) will portray Tzain.
Basically, this movie sounds like a sure-fire hit, but recent comments from Adeyemi are throwing cold water on the excitement.
Tomi Adeyemi Shared Her Experience On The Set of The Film
In a five-minute video she shared on Wednesday, Adeyemi said being on the set of the film was “the worst thing I have ever had to live through” and “I never want to hear about this project again,’ Variety reports.
Adeyemi, who co-wrote the movie’s screenplay, also said she wouldn’t watch it after being on set for the project.
Per Variety:
Adeyemi alleged that she left the “Children of Blood and Bone” set “hyperventilating and sobbing” and that she is “still being antagonized behind the scenes.” Representatives for Adeyemi, Paramount and director Gina Prince-Bythewood did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.
“I’m not going to speak on what I endured to make it through the young adult trilogy, and I’m not going to speak about everything that I also suffered through or endured to make the adaptation a reality,” Adeyemi said. “I’m actually only going to speak about what happened after I left that set of my own film adaptation, hyperventilating and sobbing. There are many witnesses, so it’s not really a secret. I came back to America and suffered such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks. I knew it was so bad that I would never ever be able to watch this film, and I made peace with that.”
Is There A Beef Between Amandla Stenberg & Adeyemi?
She also claims she is being “antagonized” behind the scenes and in a since-deleted TikTok shared a screenshot of a group chat featuring Stenberg writing, “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.”
According to the LA Times, Adeyemi went so far as to block Stenberg, but the actress, who was on the receiving end of criticism from fans of the book over her casting, defended herself.
“I am four months into training for ‘Children of Blood and Bone,’ and I am getting my ass whooped,” Stenberg previously said in a deleted TikTok video last year. “I want everyone to know that this is important to me, and I think about it with every choice that I make. I would never navigate my career blindly, not thinking about my skin tone or the space I occupy. I would never go after a role I didn’t feel was right for me. I want to see all skin tones represented in media. I know that colorism is an insidious system that relentlessly impacts every facet of entertainment.”
Bruh.
We don’t get many epic Black film moments; we just hope all the drama is settled before this movie arrives in theaters.
