The upcoming film adaptation of Children of Blood & Bone has found itself in the middle of an unexpected controversy months ahead of its theatrical debut, with Amandla Stenberg and author Tomi Adeyemi now publicly at odds. Adeyemi revealed this week that she is distancing herself from the highly anticipated adaptation, saying she will neither promote nor watch the film despite co-writing the screenplay. Her comments, coupled with a previously private exchange involving Stenberg, have sparked fresh debate around one of the most anticipated fantasy releases of 2027.
Per Deadline, in a TikTok video and messages shared from her Instagram Broadcast channel, Adeyemi told fans she would no longer post about the upcoming Paramount adaptation directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Instead, she encouraged readers to support the original novels by purchasing them from independent bookstores.
She also shared a screenshot of what appeared to be a direct message from Stenberg that read, "Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me."
Adeyemi said she subsequently blocked the actor and later explained in TikTok comments that she was "laying down my sword" because she had been "hurt and attacked behind the scenes."
She added that she spent 14 years trying to bring the story to life and emphasized that final creative decisions did not belong to her, writing that anyone claiming otherwise had "been lied to."
The author also wrote, "I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it. It's been painful holding this back from you all... And I'm sorry if any of you thought I didn't care about US. More than any glitter."
Stenberg has not responded to Adeyemi’s claims as of this writing.
The dispute has drawn added attention because of the cultural weight surrounding Children of Blood & Bone, which is based on the first novel in Adeyemi's bestselling Legacy of Orïsha trilogy. The fantasy series, inspired by West African mythology, became a publishing phenomenon after its 2018 release and was widely praised for centering Black characters in an epic fantasy setting.
The film adaptation features an all-star cast that includes Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Tosin Cole, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Regina King and Viola Davis alongside Stenberg.
Responding to criticism, Stenberg recalled a conversation with Adeyemi, saying, "She goes, 'Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and were cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, and you had these racist remarks thrown at you... that inspired me to write this series.'"
Stenberg added, "We just started crying, and I said to myself, 'God wants me here!'"
The situation also places Stenberg back in familiar territory. The actor previously became the focus of intense online debate during the release of The Acolyte, which faced review bombing and widespread criticism before and after its premiere. Stenberg, who publicly condemned racist and homophobic harassment directed at the show's cast, responded with a satirical diss track aimed at online critics.
After Disney canceled the series following one season, the actor said the decision was "not a huge shock," arguing that the production had faced a "rampage of vitriol" and "hyper-conservative bigotry" from the outset.
