Less than six months before Children of Blood and Bone arrives in theaters, author Tomi Adeyemi has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with Paramount Pictures' big-screen adaptation of her bestselling fantasy novel.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, she replied to a fan on her Instagram Story who asked why she no longer posts about the movie. It was then that Adeyemi revealed that there is a reason for her silence, though she stopped short of specifying what exactly it is.
"There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work," she wrote, before concluding, "That's all." Later, Adeyemi said, "From this point on, if you want to support me, you can purchase any edition of the trilogy at a local independent children's bookstore."
Perhaps most surprisingly, the author shared a screenshot of a DM conversation dated February 28, 2025. In it, Adeyemi tells an unnamed individual, "Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me." The identity of the recipient is unclear, although the screenshot appears to show that actress Amandla Stenberg has been blocked, leading to speculation that it's The Acolyte star.
Adeyemi also said, "I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it. It's been painful holding this back from you all." Making these comments even more unexpected is that Adeyemi co-wrote the screenplay alongside director Gina Prince-Bythewood.
The adaptation has had a long and complicated journey to the big screen. Before the novel was even published in 2018, Fox 2000 Pictures had secured the rights, with Rick Famuyiwa attached to direct. Following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the project moved to Lucasfilm, where Kay Oyegun was brought on to write the screenplay.
However, that version of Children of Blood and Bone stalled before eventually being placed into turnaround in late 2021. Reports at the time suggested Adeyemi had grown frustrated with Lucasfilm's lack of progress, and Paramount ultimately acquired the rights in early 2022, with Prince-Bythewood joining the project as director. Production finally began in early 2025 and wrapped earlier this summer.
The film features an impressive cast that includes Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Regina King, Lashana Lynch, Viola Davis, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, and Thuso Mbedu as protagonist Zélie Adebola.
The production wasn't without controversy. Earlier this year, the casting of Stenberg and Mbedu sparked online debate over colorism, with some fans arguing the actresses were lighter-skinned than their counterparts in Adeyemi's novels.
At the time, Stenberg defended her involvement in an eight-minute TikTok video, revealing that Adeyemi had personally encouraged her to accept the role. The actress recalled the author telling her that her casting as Rue in The Hunger Games had inspired the creation of the Legacy of Orïsha series, and it's hard not to wonder whether such a bold claim is why the writer was seemingly telling the actress to stop using her name.
That video was posted just weeks before the apparent falling out referenced in Adeyemi's recently shared messages, so we'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. Neither Paramount Pictures nor anyone involved with the production has publicly commented on Adeyemi's posts.
Children of Blood and Bone tells the story of Zélie Adebola, a young woman determined to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha while confronting themes of oppression, slavery, and systemic injustice. The film is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters in January 2027, though Paramount has yet to release the trailer shown exclusively at CinemaCon earlier this year.
Stay tuned for updates as we have them.