Author Tomi Adeyemi, whose book Children Of Blood And Bone is being adapted into a major film, has distanced herself from the production. “I never want to hear about this project again,” author Tomi Adeyemi has said in an emotional video distancing herself from the forthcoming adaptation of her book, Children Of Blood And Bone. ... Children Of Blood And Bone | Author Tomi Adeyemi distances herself from the film adaptation in no uncertain terms
Author Tomi Adeyemi, whose book Children Of Blood And Bone is being adapted into a major film, has distanced herself from the production.
“I never want to hear about this project again,” author Tomi Adeyemi has said in an emotional video distancing herself from the forthcoming adaptation of her book, Children Of Blood And Bone. “I don’t have anything to say about the people who made it.”
The romantic fantasy is currently in production, with The Old Guard and The Woman King's Gina Prince-Bythewood directing and co-writing the script with Adeyemi, based on the author’s best-selling 2018 young adult novel.
It’s clear from Adeyemi’s video, recently published on TikTok, that relationships have soured on the production. The author describes leaving the set “hyperventilating and sobbing,” and claims that she is “still being antagonised behind the scenes.”
Adeyemi didn’t mention anyone by name in her five-minute video.
“What I’m about to share is not a secret to the people involved,” she said, as reported by Variety. “It’s a reality that I’ve had to live with for about a year and a half, and everyone involved, at least at the highest level, has been made aware of this reality, and they haven’t done anything to make it better. If anything, they’ve only antagonised me, and I accept that. But I also accept if I don’t say something, I think it’s just going to be worse.”
The video emerged in the wake of Children Of Blood And Bone's first trailer, which gave a flavour of the production’s scale. The lavish fantasy, set in pre-colonial Nigeria, has a starry cast which includes Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Regina King, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Cynthia Erivo.
It appeared to be the trailer’s launch that prompted Adeyemi to upload the video.
“But as it is being marketed,” she said, “And as I am still being antagonised behind the scenes, which is where I hoped all of this would stay, it’s become apparent to me that reality needs to at least be made known, so that you guys can understand how this film, which I worked on to make it a little better for us to be alive, is also the worst thing I have ever had to live through.”
There has been some controversy among fans of the book about the casting of Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari, and Variety reports that Adeyemi posted an earlier TikTok video that appeared to show a tense group chat that included her and Stenberg.
There’s no suggestion that Adeyemi is referring to Stenberg in this latest TikTok video, however.
At this stage, the film’s production team hasn’t issued a response to Adeyemi’s video.
Children Of Blood And Bone is due for release on the 15th January 2027.
