According to Deadline, The Old Guard and The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood has been tapped to helm Paramount Pictures’ upcoming film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone. In addition to the directing, the filmmaker will also help develop the screenplay based on Tomi Adeyemi’s coming-of-age fantasy novel from 2018.
What is Children of Blood and Bone about?
Children of Blood and Bone centers around a young girl who will help restore magic to her kingdom. It serves as the first installment to Adeyemi’s planned trilogy, which was followed by the sequel Children of Virtue and Vengeance. Both novels have been hailed as New York Times bestsellers. Its upcoming third and final installment titled Children of Anguish and Anarchy is set to be published in 2024.
The official book synopsis for Children of Blood and Bone reads: “Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
“Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.”
The film is produced by Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Karen Rosenfelt, and Matt Jackson, with Adeyemi and Reggie Rock Bythewood serving as executive producers. Paramount Pictures won the rights to the project through a bidding war against multiple major studios like Universal Pictures and Netflix. Paramount’s deal entails a guaranteed theatrical release and creative approvals for Adeyemi.
