Queer The Acolyte star to lead adaptation of adored fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone
Amandla Stenberg will star in the epic film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone. (Getty)
Bodies Bodies Bodies actor Amandla Stenberg will star as one of the leading characters in the wildly anticipated film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s debut YA novel, Children of Blood and Bone.
Amandla Stenberg, who most recently led Disney+ Star Wars spin-off The Acolyte, will star alongside a host of acting powerhouses who were previously announced as featuring in the fantasy epic, including Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo and EGOT holder, Viola Davis.
Alongside queer and non-binary actor Stenberg, other new names added to the all-star cast include The Woman King actress Thuso Mbedu, Doctor Who’s Tosin Cole, and Snowfall star Damson Idris, Variety reports.
Children of Blood and Bone, released back in 2018 by Nigerian-American writer Adeyemi, forms part of the author’s Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, which has been compared to literary conglomerates Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.
Mbedu will lead the cast as Zélie Adebola, a “fierce and determined” young woman living in the mythical African kingdom of Ilorin. The daughter of a powerful sorceress who has inherited a penchant for magic herself, Zélie catches the eye of the kingdom’s tyrannical ruler, King Saran (played by 12 Years A Slave star and Oscar nominee, Chiwetel Ejiofor).
King Saran has ruthlessly extinguished the magic powers from Zélie and her community, and now she wants to embark on a treacherous mission to restore them. Alongside her brother Tzain (Cole), Zélie recruits the king’s son and daughter, Prince Inan (Idris) and Princess Amari (Stenberg), who have become disillusioned with their father’s treatment of the oppressed people.
The quartet join forces to fight back against the King’s brutal tyranny and thirst for power, and aim to restore magic – and peace – to Ilorin.
BAFTA-nominated The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood will helm the fantasy film, which is currently set for release via Paramount Pictures in January 2027.
The Woman King star Viola Davis, a dream casting for Adeyemi, will play Mama Agba in the film, while potential EGOT holder Erivo will play Admiral Kaea. Idris Elba, another of Adeyemi’s dream recruitments, will star as Lekan, while BAFTA winner and Day of the Jackal star Lashana Lynch will star as Jumoke.
In the years since their release, Adeyemi’s books have become massive successes, topping the New York Times’ bestseller list and selling millions of copies globally. In addition to critical acclaim, the series has enjoyed rave audience reviews; on GoodReads, Children of Blood and Bone currently has an impressive average of 4.1 stars out of 5, from almost a quarter of a million ratings.
Adeyemi has previously explained that the book series is an “allegory for the modern Black experience” underneath its first raison d’etre as an epic adventure story.
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