Have you read Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi? If you haven’t, that should be your next read. That is the only way to prepare you for the amazing cast that comes to your screens!
It’s not news that Tomi Adeyemi has been working on the movie adaptation of her book Children of Blood and Bone, what we didn’t know, what we were not prepared for was the cast.
Sit down, here is all the tea!
Who is Tomi Adeyemi?
Tomi Adeyemi is an American writer and creative writing coach. She is best known for her novel Children of Blood and Bone, the first in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, which debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Sellers List, and won the 2018 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, the 2019 Waterstones Book Prize, and the 2019 Hugo Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book.
In 2019, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and in 2020, she was named to the TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2020 in the “Pioneers” category. In 2022, Paramount Pictures was developing Children of Blood and Bone into a major motion picture with Gina Prince-Bythewood attached to direct.
What is “Children of Blood and Bone”?
Published in 2018, Adeyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone” has become a smash hit, with the novel and its two sequels, “Children of Virtue and Vengeance” and “Children of Anguish and Anarchy” (collectively known as the “Legacy of Orïsha” trilogy) spending a combined 175 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. In total, the series has sold almost three million copies worldwide and garnered critical acclaim, with “Children of Blood and Bone” being featured as Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time; a New York Times Notable Children’s Book; and a Kirkus Prize Finalist, among other distinctions.
The Cast
On the 23rd of January, 2025, Tomi Adeyemi took to her social media to announce the cast of Children of Blood and Bone adaptation. Thuso Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, and Tosin Cole are taking on the lead roles in the highly-anticipated film. Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing the action fantasy film, based on Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling novel, for Paramount Pictures.
The studio has also dated the film for release on Jan. 15, 2027, in Imax.
Mbedu, who previously starred in Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic “The Woman King,” will play Zelie, a young woman living in a fantasy African kingdom who embarks on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people by the ruthless King Saran. The story follows Zelie and her older brother Tzain (Cole) as they ally with the king’s daughter, Princess Amari (Stenberg), and son, Prince Inan (Idris) to fight back against his brutal rule.
Critics:
Some book lovers are unhappy with the cast. While some complained bitterly about what roles were given to whom, others complained that the actors were unfit to act this role because the book is set in Lagos and other states in Nigeria but most of these people don’t know the Nigerian language and have never been to Lagos, including the author.
No matter what the critics say, we can’t wait to see how these individually awesome actors will work together to bring this to life.
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