Tomi Adeyemi Won't Watch 'Blood & Bone' Film, Cuts Off Stenberg
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Tomi Adeyemi announced on TikTok that she "will not watch" the Paramount film adaptation of her 2018 YA novel "Children of Blood & Bone," premiering Jan. 15 — even though she co-wrote the screenplay with director Gina Prince-Bythewood.
- Adeyemi shared a screenshot of a DM she sent to Amandla Stenberg, who plays Princess Amari, reading: "Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me."
- The DM was dated late February, shortly after Stenberg responded to accusations that she was "stealing roles from dark-skinned women" — fans noted that the character is described in the book as having "dark copper skin."
- Stenberg had earlier described a meeting with Adeyemi in which Adeyemi told her that racist backlash to her casting as Rue in "The Hunger Games" inspired her to write the series, a story Adeyemi has now publicly disavowed.
- The film's ensemble cast also includes Thuso Mbedu, Tosin Cole, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Regina King, and Viola Davis.
- Adeyemi apologized to fans in her post, writing: "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."
Why it matters: A co-writer publicly refusing to engage with her own film adaptation — and severing ties with its lead — just weeks before a Jan. 15 premiere creates a promotional crisis for Paramount and casts a shadow over one of the most ambitious Black fantasy adaptations to date, while reigniting a colorism debate about casting Stenberg as a character described as dark-skinned.
