Enter the World of African Myth and Spirit

The fantasy genre as often been rooted in Eurocentric settings. In Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling YA work, Children of Blood and Bone, it brings non-white elements into the story. Now, the novel is adapted into a feature-length film, starring a veritable Who’s Who of Black British and American actors including Emmy nominee Idris Elba, EGOT nominee Cynthia Erivo, Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, Academy Award nominee Regina King, Damson Idris, Lashana Lynch, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole, EGOT winner Viola Davis and the lead of the film, South African actress Thuso Mbedu. Children of Blood and Bone is based on Nigerian-American writer Adeyemi’s 2018 debut novel, and the first book in her Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, which became a The New York Times bestseller. Set in an alternate history pre-colonial West Africa, the book follows the story of Zélie Adebola (Mbedu) as she attempts to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, following brutal oppresion by the cruel and ruthless King Saran (Ejiofor). Directed by Gina Maria Prince-Bythewood and the screenplay by both Prince-Blythewood and Adeyemi herself, the film is shaping up to be a great release centering African folklore. But the announcement also reignited conversations that had followed the adaptation for years. Much of the criticism centered on the casting of Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari. In the novel, Amari is described as having “dark copper skin” and is notably darker than the rest of her royal family, a physical difference that contributes to her feeling like an outsider long before she begins questioning the kingdom’s treatment of the maji. Many readers argued that casting the lighter-skinned, biracial actor weakened a key aspect of the character’s identity and reflected a broader pattern of colorism in Hollywood. Other fans questioned why relatively few Nigerian actors had been cast in a story so deeply inspired by Nigerian history, Yoruba spirituality, and pre-colonial West African cultures. In a TikTok (since deleted) addressing fans who had asked why she had stopped promoting the movie, Adeyemi announced she was “officially separating” herself from the adaptation. “There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work,” she wrote. She later added that she had not seen the finished film and did not plan to watch it, as well as blocked Stenberg from contacting her. Children of Blood and Bone hits theaters on January 15th, 2027.