Children of Blood and Bone author Tomi Adeyemi has “officially separated” herself from the upcoming film adaptation, and shared screenshots suggesting she has blocked actor Amandla Stenberg,
With an all-star ensemble cast including Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Regina King and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Children of Blood and Bone has been directed by The Woman King filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood and arrives in cinemas in January 2027.
Adapted from Adeyemi’s bestselling young adult novel of the same name – which is her debut novel and the first in her Legacy of Orïsha trilogy – the fantasy story is set in a fictional land called Orïsha inspired by pre-colonial Nigeria.
But while Adeyemi co-wrote the screenplay with Prince-Bythewood, the author has now distanced herself from the project, telling her fans in a TikTok video shared on Saturday (4 July) that she would not be watching the film.
In the clip, Adeyemi is seen staring at the camera, with the caption: “‘Why don’t you post about your first film adaptation anymore?’”
A screenshot is then seen of a message sent by Adeyemi in her Instagram broadcast channel on 25 June, which reads: “There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work. That’s all.”
The video then shows a screenshot of a message she seemingly sent to Stenberg, who appears to have been blocked by Adeyemi.
“Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me,” Adeyemi’s message reads.
The Independent has contacted Stenberg’s representatives and Paramount for comment.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
The message to Stenberg appears to have been sent on 28 February 2025, around a month after the cast list for Children of Blood and Bone was released.
At the time, some fans of the book criticised the choice to cast Stenberg, who is biracial, as Princess Amari. In a video that has since been deleted from TikTok, Stenberg defended her casting and said that Adeyemi had supported her taking on the role.
The clip then goes back to screenshots from Adeyemi’s original group chat, where she wrote: “And lastly since someone asked – I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it.
“It’s been painful holding this back from you all. And I’m sorry if any of you thought I didn’t care. I will always care about us. More than any glitter.”
In the comment section, Adeyemi reiterated that she did “not mind anyone going to watch the film”, but that none of the “final decisions” about the film had been made by her.
“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,” she said.
Children of Blood and Bone is Prince-Bythewood’s first film since Viola Davis vehicle The Woman King. Filming for the project took place in South Africa, with the casting team putting out a call for actors living in Nigeria to audition for the film.
The first footage was shown at CinemaCon in April. There, Prince-Bythewood told the crowd: “I’m honoured to bring this incredible best-selling fantasy book to life.”