An all-star cast has been unveiled to lead the film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone.
Advertisement
With familiar faces aplenty, Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King), Amandla Stenberg (The Acolyte), Damson Idris (Snowfall) and Tosin Cole (Doctor Who) will lead the action of the fantasy film, slated to be released in January 2027.
Mbedu will play Zelie, a young woman living in Africa who sets out on a quest to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, which was stolen from her people by King Saran (who will be played by Chiwetel Ejiofor).
The story follows Zelie and her older brother Tzain (Cole) as they form an alliance with Saran's daughter Amari (Stenberg) and son Inan (Idris).
The film will also star Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) as Mama Agba, Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) as Admiral Kaea, Idris Elba (Hijack) as Lekan and Lashana Lynch (The Day of the Jackal) as Jumoke.
Cynthia Erivo will also star in Children of Blood and Bone. Taylor Hill/Getty Images
At the helm of the movie is Gina Prince-Bythewood, who recently directed The Woman King and said: "I am so honoured and excited to bring Tomi's Children of Blood and Bone and the vibrant world of Orisha to life. Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies."
According to Variety, negotiations are taking place with Regina King (Shirley) to play Queen Nehanda, Diaana Babnicova (The Famous Five) to play Folake and Bukky Bakray (Rocks) to play Binta.
Additional castings are to come following an open casting call for actors living in Nigeria, with filming set to begin in South Africa in the coming weeks.
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
