Tomi Adeyemi, the author of the bestselling novel Children of Blood and Bone, has described the process of adapting her book for the big screen as “the worst thing I have ever had to live through.” In a five-minute video posted on TikTok, Adeyemi said she left the set of the Paramount production “hyperventilating and sobbing,” adding, “I never want to hear about this project again.”
Adeyemi’s Emotional Revelation
Adeyemi, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film, had previously expressed concerns about the adaptation and stated she did not intend to watch it. In the TikTok video, she said she was trying to put the matter to rest, though she acknowledged it might prolong the story. She also claimed that people involved with the film continued to “antagonise” her.
“What I’m about to share is not a secret to the people involved,” Adeyemi said. “It’s a reality that I’ve had to live with for about a year and a half, and everyone involved, at least at the highest level, has been made aware of this reality, and they haven’t done anything to make it better. If anything, they’ve only antagonised me, and I accept that. But I also accept if I don’t say something, I think it’s just going to be worse.”
Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil
The author declined to detail what she endured during the making of the young adult trilogy or the adaptation process. Instead, she focused on the aftermath of leaving the set: “I came back to America and suffered such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks. I knew it was so bad that I would never ever be able to watch this film, and I made peace with that.”
The film, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, stars Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Regina King, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Tosin Cole, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lashana Lynch, and Thuso Mbedu. Prince-Bythewood recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the adaptation, saying it was “beautifully inspired by Nigeria and also inclusive of the whole diaspora.” She alluded to a casting controversy involving Amandla Stenberg, who plays Princess Amari.
Strained Relations with Cast
While Adeyemi and Stenberg appeared close last spring, a subsequent disagreement soured relations. A now-deleted TikTok video from Adeyemi showed a group chat including Stenberg, to whom Adeyemi wrote: “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.”
The release of the first trailer for the film on Monday prompted Adeyemi to speak out again. “As it is being marketed,” she said on TikTok, “and as I am still being antagonised behind the scenes, which is where I hoped all of this would stay, it’s become apparent to me that reality needs to at least be made known, so that you guys can understand how this film, which I worked on to make it a little better for us to be alive, is also the worst thing I have ever had to live through.”
