Why People Have Mixed Feelings About This ‘Children Of Blood And Bone’ Casting Choice

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A new YA adaptation is heading to the big screen, and folks are already buzzing about the high-profile cast.

On Wednesday, Variety reported that Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “Children of Blood and Bone,” based on Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling fantasy novel, has cast four familiar faces in the lead roles: Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Tosin Cole and Amandla Stenberg. The cast also includes veteran actors Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Lashana Lynch and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

The film — set to open in Imax on Jan. 15, 2027 — will reunite Prince-Bythewood and Mbedu (and Davis and Lynch) following 2022’s “The Woman King.” Mbedu commented on the news of her casting in an Instagram post hours after the news broke, sharing how she’d prayed to be tapped as a lead in the project.

“To know that I have the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing people as we tell this great story is truly humbling,” the actor wrote. “I’m so excited. I’m so grateful. Thank you @tomiadeyemi for your gift to the world. Thank you to everyone who continues to support and show up for us. We will make you proud. @gpbmadeit.”

The action fantasy is the next major production for Idris (who stars alongside Brad Pitt in “F1” this summer) and Cole, following their breakthrough performances in FX’s “Snowfall” and Netflix’s “Supacell,” respectively. It also marks Stenberg’s return to live-action film after her voice role in 2023’s animated “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” However, not everyone is happy about it.

While many fans rejoiced over the “Children of Blood and Bone” casting, others were dismayed by the decision to have Stenberg portray the character Princess Amari — who’s described as having “dark copper skin” in Adeyemi’s book, and who faces discrimination specifically due to her skin tone.

Some people noted this isn’t the first time Stenberg has accepted a role seemingly meant for a darker-skinned actor, nodding to the slight controversy over her casting in the 2018 film “The Hate U Give,” based on Angie Thomas’ novel of the same name. Debra Cartwright, who illustrated the cover of Thomas’ book, said at the time that she’d hoped “a very brown-skinned actress” would play the character Stenberg portrays, “because there’s so little opportunities in these big movies for darker-skinned actresses.”

Stenberg has yet to make a statement about her “Children of Blood and Bone” casting. HuffPost reached out to her representatives for comment.

Rather than blaming Stenberg, some fans took to task Adeyemi and the film’s production team for seemingly rewriting a key plotline in the novel — in which Princess Amari faces the harsh realities of colorism — that spoke to the experience of so many young Black girls.

That kind of representation rarely appears in blockbuster movies today, and given Stenberg’s casting, many find it hard to believe this nuance will be adequately explored or even depicted in the film.

Nonetheless, Adeyemi appears to have thrown her full support behind the cast, if an enthusiastic TikTok video she posted on Wednesday is any indication.

The author promised “more Nigerian castings and results from the open call soon.” However, some people have already decided whether they intend to support the film when it hits theaters.

It’ll be interesting to see if Adeyemi, Prince-Bythewood, or anyone else involved with the movie will respond to fans’ criticisms, although that’s not likely to reverse any casting choices. In any case, the upcoming feature offers critics and journalists a chance to examine representation in a new light. Hopefully, it will lead to some kind of resolution for future films.

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