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How many talented, fan-favourite A-list names can you pack into one film? Well, the shiny new trailer for fantasy flick Children of Blood and Bone has the answer.
The first full-length trailer for Gina Prince-Bythewood’s epic vision arrived today to much fanfare, with cheerleaders of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling book desperate to see how the story will be brought to life since news of the film was announced way back in 2017.
Based on Adeyemi’s 2018 novel, Children of Blood and Bone is set in the fantasy world of Orïsha and follows a young Zélie Adebola (Thuso Mbedu) as she tries to reclaim the magical powers that were stolen from her people. Along with her brother and the king’s daughter and son, she sets off on a mission to fight back against his brutal rule.
To say it’s a star-studded picture is an understatement, with Cynthia Erivo, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Regina King, Chiwetel Ejifor, Damson Idris and Amandla Stenberg leading the cast, alongside formidable talents such as Lashana Lynch and Tosin Cole.
The trailer introduces us to the West African-inspired fantasy world, soundtracked to Beyoncé’s 2022 song Energy (yes, another major star aligned with this epic!).
Scenes include Damson making his entry as Prince Inan and sharing a tender moment with Zélie, who frets to Sir Idris’ character about her lost powers.
‘All these years, we believed the gods abandoned us,’ she tells Lekan, who replies: ‘They were waiting for you.’
With its Black-led cast and original story, Children of Blood and Bone promises to reinvent the genre that so often omits diverse characters on screen.
However, it’s hard to ignore the very recent controversy that has bubbled in the background of the trailer debut.
Fans were stunned earlier in July when the novel’s author Adeyemi, 32, publicly denounced the film and stated she would not be watching or promoting it, while also revealing she had blocked lead actress Stenberg, 27.
In one message to a fan shared on Adeyemi’s TikTok, the writer said: ‘There is a reason i will not post anything about the adaptation of my work. that is all.’
She added in another post: ‘From this point on, if you want to support me, you can purchase any edition of the trilogy at local independent children’s bookstores (books of wonder, nyc.’
Adeyemi also shared a screenshot of a text message she sent to Stenberg, which read: ‘Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. do not text me. do not call me.’
However, the context and source of her upset has remained a mystery, with the novelist yet to shed more light on the situation. She had signed on as an executive producer and to write the screenplay when the feature-length was in early development.
The release of Children of Blood and Bone, followed by Paramount’s acquisition of the story, is thought to be one of the biggest young adult publishing deals ever.
Adeyemi spoke to Metro in 2018 about her debut novel and clearly manifested her dream cast, after revealing Viola and Sir Idris as two of her top picks for the future film.
‘There’s still some screen crushes that I would fall to my knees and cry [over], like if Viola Davis was Mama Agba. Every time I see an interview and John Boyega starts chanting I’m like – OK, he’s Tzain,’ she told us.
‘Idris Elba was the picture I had over my screen when I was writing the King Seran scene. So he’s the one person that I thought, if he doesn’t do this I’d feel kind of silly because it was kind of written for you, of you and about you.
‘Not that I think he’s an evil king but I pictured him when I had to write that scene!’
Children of Blood and Bone hits cinemas on January 15, 2027.