Tomi Adeyemi has distanced herself from Paramount’s upcoming adaptation of her YA novel Children of Blood and Bone. The movie, directed by Gina prince-Bythewood and starring Amandla Stenberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Viola Davis, and Thuso Mbedu, arrives on January 15, 2027.
Adeyemi explained her silence in a TikTok post. She shared screenshots of private messages, including one to Stenberg, telling her not to use her name in interviews or contact her again. The author said she blocked the actress after a 2025 TikTok video where Stenberg claimed Adeyemi supported her casting during a colorism backlash.
Adeyemi confirmed she has not seen the film and will not watch it. She admitted it was painful to stay quiet and apologized to fans who thought she didn’t care. “I will always care about us,” she wrote, adding she is “officially separating my name” to protect herself from ongoing hurt.
She clarified that fans are free to watch the movie but stressed she fought for her community and now chooses to step back. Her novel, the first in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, follows a young woman’s quest to restore magic to her people in an African fantasy kingdom.
The adaptation faced a long road. Lucasfilm once held the rights but dropped the project in 2021. Paramount acquired it soon after. Adeyemi’s request to write the script for Lucasfilm was denied, but she later co-wrote the screenplay with Prince-Bythewood and serves as executive producer.
Earlier this year, Prince-Bythewood joined cast members at CinemaCon to debut the first footage. She told audiences she was honored to bring Adeyemi’s best-selling fantasy to life.
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