The 'Children of Blood & Bone' Cast Is Stacked to the Rafters

When the first installment in the "young adult romantic fantasy" Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, Children of Blood & Bone, was published in 2018, it already had a deal with a major studio to turn the story into a feature film. Despite the first installment of the series being Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi's debut, the West African fantasy series was a hot property, and landing at 20th Century Fox was a big coup. Or it was; within weeks of the novel's publication, it was announced Disney would purchase Fox, and the project suddenly found itself stuck in development hell over at Lucasfilm, which currently can't even greenlight a Star Wars movie, during a pandemic that was shuttering projects.

Luckily, by the time Disney let the rights lapse at the end of 2021, Adeyemi was thoroughly done trying to get Lucasfilm to make her movie and was ready to shop around and put herself at the head of the team. Paramount Pictures swooped in and snatched up the project, with Adeyemi on board to adapt her own work and director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King) set to helm.

It's been a year since that last announcement, but Adeyemi and Prince-Bythewood haven't let things lapse. As filming gears up, the production has announced a full dozen cast members, a virtual who's who of Black America and Black British acting royalty., starting with the four central characters: South African actor Thuso Mbedu (The Underground Railroad), British actors Tosin Cole (Doctor Who) and Damson Idris (Snowfall), and American actress Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games).

Here's the film's synopsis:

Set in a mythical African fantasy kingdom named Orïsha, the story follows a young woman, Zélie, who is a member of the group known as the maji, citizens who had special powers before the king attempted to rid the world of magic. When she discovers a way to bring those powers back and, in turn, help the former maji, who have been disenfranchised and mistreated, she goes on a quest with her brother to ally with the daughter and son of the tyrannical king to fight back against his brutal rule.

Mbedu stars as Zelie, with Cole as her older brother Tzain. Stenberg plays the king’s daughter, Princess Amari, and Idris plays her older brother, Prince Inan, with whom Zlie and Tzain form an alliance.

But that's only the topline four actors who play the four young people at the trilogy's heart. Much like the Harry Potter films once did, the more mature characters are all played by major stars in the prime of their careers*. That includes such highly decorated actors like Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT holder Viola Davis (The First Lady), About-to-Be-An-EGOT winner Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Absolute Unit Icon Idris Elba (Hijack), Bondian Badass Lashana Lynch (Day of the Jackal), and Chiwetel Ejiofor, CBE (The Man Who Fell To Earth). Further cast who are working out contract details include Regina King (Watchmen), Diaana Babnicova (The Famous Five), and Bukky Bakray (Liaison). 

(*It's rather fitting that Prince-Bythewood took that casting route since Adeyemi was partly inspired to write her trilogy by the racist backlash of fans to things like Steinberg playing Rue in The Hunger Games and the whole "Black Hermione" business.)

Adeyemi and Reggie Rock Bythewood will executive produce with the filmmaking team behind the Twilight series: Wyck Godfrey & Marty Bowen for Temple Hill Entertainment, Karen Rosenfelt for Sunswept Entertainment, and Matt Jackson for Jackson Pictures.

Children of Blood & Bone has set a release date of Friday, January 15, 2027, in Imax.