The long-anticipated cast of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone, the 2018 young adult fantasy novel by Tomi Adeyemi, has been announced. While the star-studded announcement has sparked excitement, it has also ignited debates around representation, colourism and authenticity.
The Cast
South African actress Thuso Mbedu, known for her work in Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, stars as the lead, Zélie, a young woman who discovers her magical heritage and embarks on a perilous journey to restore magic to the land of Orïsha. The story tackles Zélie’s internal struggles, the oppression of her people, and the complexities of family and loyalty.
She is joined by:
Tosin Cole as her brother, Tzain
Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari
Damson Idris as the ruthless Prince Inan
Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous King Saran
Supporting roles include Oscar-winner Viola Davis as Mama Agba, Cynthia Erivo as Admiral Kaea, Idris Elba as Lekan and Lashana Lynch as Jumoke.
Paramount Studio has acquired the rights to all the books in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy. Children of Blood and Bone is the first book. Children of Virtue and Vengeance was published in 2019, and Children of Anguish and Anarchy was published in June last year.
Production is set to begin in South Africa in the coming weeks. The film will be released on January 15, 2027, in IMAX.
Where are the Nigerians living in Nigeria?
Some fans of the book have taken to social media to express dismay over the lack of local Nigerian actors in the main cast. In November, an open casting call for actors living in Nigeria — male and female between the ages of 10 and mid-20s — was announced, so fans were expecting to see some of those actors play key roles.
However, in the press release, the production stated that actors from that casting call will be announced in the future. The production also noted that it is in negotiation with Oscar-winner Regina King as Queen Nehanda, Diaana Babnicova as Folake, and the British-Nigerian actress Bukky Bakray as Binta.
The colourism debate
The actors’ skin tones have been a major focus of the criticism that the film has faced on social media, with fans of the book highlighting stark deviations between the skin tones of the cast and the characters they are to play.
Because the book also tackles colourism, fans have pointed out that Mbedu, though dark-skinned, is of a fairer tone than Zelie as described in the book. The author, Adeyemi, emphasised this as part of Zelie’s strength.
Some critics have also highlighted Damson Idris, who is dark-skinned, is not of a “copper” tone as described by Adeyemi of Prince Inan.
Critics argue that it feeds into Hollywood’s preference for pairing dark-skinned men with lighter-skinned women in black-led stories.
Accent palava
The expected accents of the characters has also been a huge bone of contention for Nigerian fans. For reasons one can’t begin to fathom, Hollywood has been unable to nail the Nigerian accent or pronounce Yoruba words properly.
This is something that fans of the books say they are wary of with this cast lineup.
The age discontent
The cast’s age has also drawn criticism. Zelie and her companions are portrayed as teenagers in the book, but the lead actors — Mbedu, Idris and Cole — are in their 30s.
Some fans feel this detracts from the relatability of the characters for younger audiences.
Looking ahead
While debates rage on, excitement for the film remains high. The production’s promise of future announcements leaves room for hope, and it’s hard to be too mad at a cast that includes so many award-winning heavyweights.
Fans are eager to see how the adaptation will bring Adeyemi’s rich world to life, and so are we.
