Yahoo Lifestyle C“hildren of Blood and Bone”: Everything We Know About the Star-Studded Movie Adaptation (Including Which Oscar-Winning Actors Are Rounding Out the Cast!)“”
From the cast to the plot, here's everything we know so far about the screen adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's 'Children of Blood and Bone'
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Thuso Mbedu ; 'Children of Blood and Bone' by Tomi Adeyemi ; Damson Idris.Children of Blood and Bone is headed from bookshelves to the big screen.
Based on the 2018 best-selling novel of the same name by Tomi Adeyemi, the fantasy film follows Zelie as she rises up against King Saran to resist the oppression he has imposed on their mythical African kingdom, Orïsha, and to restore magic to its people.
The film will be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood for Paramount Pictures and will star Thuso Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris and Tosin Cole. They will be joined by an acclaimed ensemble that includes Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Lashana Lynch and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
“I am so honored and excited to bring Tomi’s Children of Blood and Bone and the vibrant world of Orisha to life,” Prince-Bythewood told Variety in January 2025. “Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies.”
From plot points to cast details, here's everything to know about Children of Blood and Bone.
What is Children of Blood and Bone about?
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'Children of Blood and Bone' written by Tomi Adeyemi.After King Saran violently strips the people of a fantasy African kingdom of their magic, Children of Blood and Bone follows siblings Zelie and Tzain as they join forces with Princess Amari and Prince Inan, the king’s own children, to fight back against his tyrannical reign.
During a 2018 conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Adeyemi described the book as an "allegory for the modern Black experience."
She explained that part of her inspiration for writing Children of Blood and Bone was being "motivated by anger" after witnessing the backlash against the casting of two Black actors, Stenberg as Rue and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, in 2012's The Hunger Games.
"I was like, 'Oh man, I’m going to write a story that’s so good and so Black that everyone’s going to have to read it even if you’re racist,' " she said. "That became my writing mission."
Children of Blood and Bone (and its two sequels) spent a combined 175 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, per Variety. According to the outlet, the series has sold nearly three million copies worldwide and received widespread critical acclaim, including being recognized as one of the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time, a New York Times Notable Children’s Book and a Kirkus Prize Finalist.
The novel also won Adeyemi a Time100 spot, as well as Hugo and Nebula awards.
Who is in the cast of Children of Blood and Bone?
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(L): Tosin Cole attends the premiere of 'Supacell' on June 24, 2024, in London ; (M): Viola Davis attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5, 2025, in Beverly Hills, Calif. ; (R): Idris Elba at the premiere of 'Luther: The Fallen Sun' on March 1, 2023, in London.In January 2025, Mbedu, Stenberg, Idris and Cole were announced as the film's leads.
Mbedu will star as Zelie, a young woman living in Orïsha who sets out on a journey to restore the magic that King Saran brutally took from her people. The actress previously starred in 2022's The Woman King, a historical epic also directed by Prince-Bythewood.
Meanwhile, Cole will portray Zelie's older brother Tzain after previously appearing in 2015's Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens and 2024's Bob Marley: One Love.
Princess Amari and Prince Inan, the king's daughter and son, will be played by Stenberg and Idris, respectively. Stenberg is most known for starring in 2012's The Hunger Games and 2018's The Hate U Give. Meanwhile, Idris gained acclaim for his performances in 2018's Farming and 2021's Outside the Wire and is also set to star in 2025's F1.
The cast is rounded out by a star-studded ensemble, including Davis as Mama Agba, Lynch as Jumoke, Erivo as Admiral Kaea, Elba as Lekan and Ejiofor as King Saran.
Davis has gained recognition for her roles in 2011's The Help and 2016's Fences, the latter earning her an Academy Award in 2017 for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred alongside Mbedu and Lynch in Prince-Bythewood's The Woman King.
Erivo joins the cast following her highly acclaimed performance as Elphaba in 2024's Wicked — which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress — with its second part slated to be released in November 2025.
Meanwhile, Elba starred in 2019's Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, while Ejiofor earned an Academy Award nomination for his work in 2013's 12 Years a Slave.
Who is directing Children of Blood and Bone?
Amy Sussman/WireImage
Gina Prince-Bythewood attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on Feb. 26, 2023, in Los Angeles.Children of Blood and Bone will be directed by Prince-Bythewood, who previously helmed 2020's The Old Guard and 2022's The Woman King. She will also be co-writing the screenplay alongside Adeyemi.
The author will also executive produce the movie, accompanied by Reggie Rock Bythewood.
Where is Children of Blood and Bone being filmed?
Although production has yet to begin, filming is set to take place in South Africa, per Variety.
When will Children of Blood and Bone be released?
Kevin Mazur/MG21/Getty
Tomi Adeyemi attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York City.Children of Blood and Bone is slated to be released in Imax on Jan. 15, 2027, per Variety.
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