Paramount’s Upcoming Fantasy Adaptation Slammed by Original Author: “I Will Not Watch it”
It’s full steam ahead into some bookish drama when it comes to the partnership between author Tomi Adeyemi and Paramount Studios, which purchased the film rights to her book Children of Blood and Bone. The author, who had previously had nothing but good things to say about the adaptation as it was moving forward, has now posted a series of cryptic social media posts all leading up to her saying that she will be having nothing to do with the finished product.
Adeyemi, who actually co-wrote the script that the studio chose to move forward with, has even seemed to have blocked Amandla Stenberg, who is cast in the lead role of Zélie Adebola in the film. Speaking on the issue, the author said, “There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work… I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it. It’s been painful holding this back from you all.” But what the reason is, no one seems to know, and Adeyemi isn’t saying—likely due to a mountain of NDA’s and the fact that Paramount would sue her into oblivion if she did.
The series comes with an incredibly unique premise, centered on a young woman named Zélie Adebola, who hopes to restore magic to her people and the kingdom of Orïsha after the murder of her mother, a magic user, and the violent suppression of magic by the king who now rules them. It’s not long before she heads on a journey alongside a rogue princess to restore their people’s magic and overthrow the monarchy, all as her new powers begin making themselves known. It’s a story built on themes of discrimination and injustice, while also deeply rooted in West African folklore and myth—all of which could lead to a hard pivot from the source material by Paramount, a studio that has been accused in the past of promoting propaganda, especially after its recent merger with Skydance. And the few details that have come out regarding Ademeyi’s feelings seem to point to heavy script changes and reshoots, as well as a January theatrical release—a month that is notoriously known for being where movies go to die.
With the fallout now going viral, one user on X theorized, “My guess is the Paramount/Skydancer merger screwed her. Paramount got the rights in 2022 and announced the merger in 2024. New owners did heaven knows what to the film.” And it really is a solid theory, especially when you consider that at one time Disney was in the running to adapt the novel.
What do you think the reasons for Adeyemi and Paramount’s fallout are? Are you still looking forward to the film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to see what’s going on over at the ComicBook forum.
