Tomi Adeyemi distances herself from film adaptation of her book

The Paramount adaptation, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, is scheduled for release on January 15, 2027, and features a cast including Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, and Idris Elba. Adeyemi shared what appeared to be messages sent to Stenberg in February 2025, instructing the actor not to use her name in interviews or contact her.

These messages seem to coincide with a period when Stenberg faced backlash regarding her casting as Princess Amari, a character described in the book as having "dark copper skin." Stenberg, who is biracial, addressed the perception that she was taking roles from darker-skinned women, noting the book's description of Amari's lighter skin tone.

Adeyemi expressed her pain in keeping this distance from her fans and stated, "I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it." She added that while she does not mind others watching the film, she is "laying down my sword and officially separating my name because I can’t keep being hurt and attacked behind the scenes."

'Children of Blood and Bone,' the first book in Adeyemi's Legacy of Orïsha series, debuted at number one on The New York Times's Young Adult bestsellers list in 2018. Adeyemi, who was named to Forbes's 30 Under 30 list, previously told The Guardian that she wrote the book to address the absence of Black teenage girls in literature.