As 'children Of Blood And Bone' Trailer Drops, Director Tells Why She Turned Down The Film Twice

The charismatic trailer for nan movie adjustment of nan African imagination caller “Children of Blood and Bone” is making a scatter online, and nan head conscionable revealed that she almost didn’t make nan film.

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”), nan movie stars a slew of A-list actors including Regina King, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Amandla Stenberg, Idris Elba, Tosin Cole, Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lashana Lynch and Thuso Mbedu.

The adjustment of nan first installment of writer Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling “Legacy of Orïsha” imagination trilogy is slated to deed theaters Jan. 15. The communicative follows Zélie Adebola, a courageous young female pinch dormant magical abilities who has drawn nan attraction of tyrannical King Saran, nan ruler of nan kingdom of Orïsha, a fictional state successful an replacement precolonial Nigeria inhabited by 2 chopped taste groups: divîners (inherently magical group who person had their magic stolen by King Saran) and nan non-magical kosidán.

On Monday, Paramount held a “Children of Blood and Bone” trailer motorboat event astatine nan Brooklyn Academy of Music successful New York City. In a chat moderated by “Master of None” character Lena Waithe, Prince-Bythewood and nan formed talked astir nan making and almost-not-making of nan film.

According to Prince-Bythewood, helming “The Woman King” felt for illustration nan point she’d been moving toward her full career. “And past this came and it was thing moreover bigger and successful a abstraction that we hadn’t sewage to spot ourselves in, which was large epic fantasy,” she said. “And arsenic overmuch arsenic I needed a small rest, I couldn’t opportunity no. And nan beauty of this is that I was really offered this movie 2 different times complete nan past 7 years. And some times I turned it down.”

Prince-Bythewood admitted that she wasn’t emotionally fresh to hop connected committee and that she didn’t cognize really to make an epic imagination movie yet. “But location was thing astir this 3rd clip erstwhile they came to me,” she said.

“I still said, ‘I already turned it down truthful you’re wasting your time.’” She continued that she had realized, successful retrospect, that nan 3rd connection came erstwhile it was expected to come. Plus, pinch “The Woman King” nether her belt, now she knew really to make nan movie.

“There was thing truthful heavy and guttural astir my relationship this clip erstwhile I publication it,” she said. “I felt truthful connected to this young leader who’s fighting to find her purpose. There is truthful overmuch going connected successful nan world correct now, and there’s truthful galore themes wrong this that speak to that.”

Prince-Bythewood gushed astir loving nan book, nan communicative and nan characters. “Now really do I actualize it? How do I make it a film? And that’s nan breathtaking and scary part. How do we make magic consciousness cultural?”

The head said her big-screen adjustment was “beautifully inspired by Nigeria and besides inclusive of nan full diaspora. We wanted each of america to beryllium capable to spot ourselves wrong this, conscionable our complete and utter humanity, each nan beautiful hues.”

The remark is notable successful ray of behind-the-scenes play that has unfolded complete nan past twelvemonth and a half. Prince-Bythewood co-wrote nan book pinch Adeyemi, but nan writer precocious distanced herself from nan book-to-screen task and said she would not spot nan movie aft a casting contention involving Stenberg, who portrays Princess Amari successful nan film.

In February 2025, Stenberg posted a since-deleted nine-minute TikTok addressing backlash that suggested colorism was astatine play erstwhile she landed nan gig. She told followers that Adeyemi had fixed nan character her blessing erstwhile formed arsenic nan series’ princess.

“I americium 4 months into training for ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ and I americium getting my ass whooped,” Stenberg joked successful nan video, per BET.

“I had nan opportunity to meet Tomi, nan novelist, for nan first time. … And she goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to cognize that erstwhile you were a small woman and you were formed arsenic Rue successful ‘The Hunger Games,’ and group said that Rue’s decease wouldn’t beryllium arsenic sad because you’re a Black woman — that inspired maine to constitute this bid truthful that Black girls for illustration you and Black girls of each shades could person a communicative written astir them.’”

Shortly aft Stenberg said Adeyemi gave nan character her blessing, they had a matter speech that hinted astatine a alteration of bosom aliases different communicative entirely.

This month, nan Nigerian American writer posted a since-deleted video connected TikTok addressing fans who had been — according to her — asking her nan aforesaid question, “Why don’t you station astir nan adjustment of your first movie adjustment anymore?”

“There is simply a logic I will not station thing astir nan adjustment of my work,” nan writer wrote successful what appeared to beryllium screenshots of a group chat. “I person not seen nan film, and I will not watch it.”

Alongside nan screenshots of her comments successful nan group chat, she shared a February 2025 speech pinch Stenberg. Adeyemi shared only her last connection to nan actor, which read, “Do not ever usage my sanction successful an question and reply aliases video again. Do not matter me. Do not telephone me.” That speech is followed by a notification that she blocked Stenberg.

The connection from Stenberg that preceded Adeyemi’s reply was not shown successful full.