Tomi Adeyemi Calls Blood and Bone Film 'Worst Thing' — SkimNews
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- Tomi Adeyemi posted a five-minute TikTok video calling the Paramount film adaptation of her novel 'Children of Blood and Bone' 'the worst thing I have ever had to live through,' adding: 'I never want to hear about this project again'
- Adeyemi said she left the set 'hyperventilating and sobbing' and returned to America suffering severe somatic pain and panic attacks — she has made peace with never watching the film
- Adeyemi said people at the highest level of the production have been 'made aware of this reality' but 'haven't done anything to make it better' and have only 'antagonised' her behind the scenes
- A now-deleted TikTok showed a group chat with Amandla Stenberg, who plays Princess Amari, in which Adeyemi wrote: 'Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.'
- Director Gina Prince-Bythewood, speaking to the Los Angeles Times at the first trailer's launch event, said the adaptation was 'beautifully inspired by Nigeria' and 'inclusive of the whole diaspora,' apparently addressing a casting controversy
- The Paramount film also stars Regina King, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Tosin Cole, Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lashana Lynch, and Thuso Mbedu
Why it matters: Adeyemi's public disavowal of the film comes as Paramount debuted the first trailer this week. The author — who co-wrote the screenplay — says she never wants to hear about the project again and that those involved have only 'antagonised' her. Her leaked texts to star Amandla Stenberg reveal a rupture between author, director, and lead cast.
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