Children of Blood and Bone is bringing the world of Orïsha to the big screen. Paramount Pictures released the first images of the star-studded cast in the adventurous adaptation from director Gina Prince-Bythewood, last week, and now we got more scenes footage from the highly anticipated film.
Idris Elba, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, and Lashana Lynch fill the screen with regal energy. Academy Award-nominee Cynthia Erivo and Academy Award-Winners Viola Davis and Regina King join them.
The actors appear draped in vibrant color, gleaming armor, and bold face paint.
The film is based on the first title in the fantasy trilogy by Nigerian author Tomi Adeyemi. It was a #BookTok favorite after its 2018 release. It proved readers could make room for young Black people in fantasy lands. They put it on the New York Times bestseller list.
This adaptation is not coming from an amateaur. Prince-Bythewood directed The Woman King and the iconic Love & Basketball. She co-wrote the screenplay with Adeymi. “I feel like I’m being mentored just through watching her work,” Adeymi told PEOPLE about working with the entertainment veteran in 2024. “She rolls up her sleeves and does the work. It’s incredible to work with someone at that caliber.”
Adeymi Steeped ‘Children of Blood And Bone’ In Tradition
Critics adored it as well. They praised the detail that Adeyemi used to build a thrilling world full of magic.
Children of Blood and Bone takes place in a mystical world. It follows the story of a young woman fighting to restore a sacred magic in her homeland after it was stolen by force. She works with her brother and another sibling duo to reclaim their enchanting heritage.
Orïsha represents divine entities in the Yoruba religion. Many types of art have referenced the Orïshas, including Beyoncé’s Lemonade.
It sits in a growing canon of Black YA titles like LaDarrion Williams’ 2024 Blood at the Root and Ayana Gray’s 2021 Beast of Prey. Many consider Adeyemi a pioneer in that space.
Commercial Fantasy Flicks Haven’t Always Centered Blackness
Other fantasy series, like the Harry Potter franchise or Percy Jackson and the Olympians, have not always centered African traditions. Greek Mythology and Eurocentric myths are often wove into tales of magic. Authors reinforce the role of certain ideals as superior to others by focusing on them.
Some refuse to welcome Young Black kids them because of the many pages that don’t include them. They target them when cosplaying characters.
Adeyemi spoke with The Guardian about her inspiration for writing and rewriting the story until it was right in 2018. “I had a lot of different reasons for writing the book but at its core was the desire to write for black teenage girls growing up reading books they were absent from. That was my experience as a child. Children of Blood and Bone is a chance to address that. To say you are seen,” she said.
The Adaptation Has Been Slightly Complicated
Readers always have feedback when it comes to adaptations. Authors can find them lacking as well.
The authors of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and American Psycho famously rebuked their adaptations.
Adeymi explained that she will not be promoting the adaptation on her social media due to disputes with some of the people involved. She posted several screenshots of a conversation with a contact in her phone labeled Amandla Stenberg to her TikTok.
The post did not discourage those attached to the characters from seeing the highly anticipated film.
“I do not mind anyone going to watch the film. i wrote this for us. i fought for us. i’m just laying down my sword and officially separating my name because i can’t keep being hurt and attacked behind the scenes,” Adeymi wrote in the comments.
Viewers will get to see the adaptation for themselves next year. Children of Blood and Bone will hit theaters on January 15, 2027. Get a first look at the stars below!