Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone is the type of book that is perfectly suited for a fantasy live-action adaptation. Full of Afrofuturism, adventure, and magic, this story of reclamation and power packs quite the punch. It’s the same joyful and proud sentiment that many fans across the world felt when Black Panther came to theaters nearly a decade ago. The trailer for Children of Blood and Bone is here and while it looks great, some fans may not be racing to the theaters to see it.
The film is co-written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who is known for The Woman King and Love & Basketball, so she certainly feels like the right person to helm this project. Speaking of The Woman King, familiar faces from that film are in Children of Blood and Bone like Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, and Lashana Lynch, all of whom we see in the trailer. The cast is very stacked and includes Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole, Cynthia Erivo, Zackary Momoh, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Regina King, and Idris Elba.
Here’s a synopsis for Children of Blood and Bone:
In the epic fantasy world of Orïsha, a young woman goes on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people. She and her brother ally with the daughter and son of the king to fight back against his brutal rule.
Nerdist’s Take: Children of Blood and Bone’s Trailer Looks Great, But The Behind-the-Scenes Mess Is Very Bad
For reasons that are kinda messy, Adeyemi has distanced herself from this film despite her credits as a co-writer for the screenplay and an executive producer. That’s quite sad considering this is her world that she crafted. According to her TikTok post that’s no longer available to view, Adeyemi said that there were a host of creative differences and a lack of financial control.
Of course, when a creative is working with a production company to bring a book to life onscreen, there will have to be compromise because the studio is funding this venture. However, there’s always that thin line between compromise and taking someone’s work and completely changing it in ways that don’t align with their overall vision. Adeyemi seems to be hinting that the latter is what’s happening here.
She also said she felt emotional distress while working on the project and posted publicly about her friction with Amandla Stenberg, who has had quite a few controversial bumps in her career. Stenberg’s casting as Princess Amari caused a stir among many fans because the character is specifically described as dark-skinned and overtly faces colorism in the book, while Stenberg is a lighter-skinned biracial person. That’s a valid criticism for sure, and it could turn some fans off from wanting to see the film.
Children of Blood and Bone will hit theaters on January 15, 2027.