The casting for Paramount’s film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s YA novel, Children of Blood and Bone — the first book in a trilogy — has just been announced, revealing its star-studded cast. After the book’s initial release in 2018, it spent 175 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, was a Kirkus Prize finalist, and was listed as one of the top “100 best fantasy books of all time” by TIME, among other accolades.
About the Series
The book is part of the Legacy of Orïsha series, a West African–inspired fantasy epic that follows young Zélie Adebola, who once remembers when the land was filled with magic. But under King Saran’s ruthless orders, all the maji are killed, including Zélie’s mother, and with them, all magic disappears. Now, with the help of rogue princess Amari, Zélie has a chance to take down the monarchy and bring magic back to Orïsha and her people.
The Cast
The primary cast of characters who’ve been announced includes Thuso Mbedu as Zélie, Damson Idris as Prince Inan, Tosin Cole as Tzain, and Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari. Additional roles are also being filled by powerhouse actors, such as Viola Davis as Mama Agba and Cynthia Erivo, who most recently starred in Wicked, as Admiral Kaea. Lashana Lynch, Idris Elba, and Chiwetel Ejiofor will also play supporting roles.
Backlash to the Casting
While it’s exciting to see this project continue developing since it was first announced in 2022, there is backlash surrounding Amandla Stenberg’s casting as Princess Amari.
Fans of the books have started to point out on social media that Amari is supposed to be a dark-skinned girl, with her skin tone described in the books as a “dark brown copper complexion.” Amari is also Inan’s sister, who, in the books, has darker skin than the rest of the family.
Thus, fans assumed Amari would be portrayed by a dark-skinned actress. Especially considering the studio put out an open casting call for Nigerian-based talent in November of 2024. This missed opportunity hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans. Stenberg herself has addressed the lack of casting for dark-skinned women in Hollywood. She declined the offer to star in Marvel’s Black Panther because she said it wouldn’t feel “right” as a biracial American.
There is no doubt that Stenberg’s casting gives Tomi Adeyemi a full circle moment, as Adeyemi herself has stated that part of the inspiration for writing Children of Blood and Bone was seeing Amandla Stenberg cast as Rue in The Hunger Games.
We can only hope for the movie adaption to be a box office success, regardless of the casting outcome, because this epic West African–inspired YA adaptation with an all-Black cast deserves to be seen and celebrated. If you want more from the world of Orïsha, Children of Anguish and Anarchy, the last book in the trilogy, is available now!
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