Author Tomi Adeyemi has distanced herself from the blockbuster film based on her novel of the same name.

The adaptation of the popular fantasy book features a star-studded cast, including Cynthia Erivo Fans of Children of Blood and Bone got a fresh glimpse of stars including Cynthia Erivo, Damson Idris and Lashana Lynch in the first trailer for the film adaptation of the popular fantasy novel. The young adult novel follows Zélie Adebola as she tries to bring magic back to the mythical kingdom of Orïsha after a ruthless king wiped it out. It is the first in a trilogy by Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of Bafta-nominated historical drama The Woman King. The adaptation is set to be released in January 2027, but Adeyemi has already distanced herself from the project. This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The new trailer opens with award-winning actress Lynch as Jumoke, the mother of Zélie, played by South African actress Thuso Mbedu. Jumoke can be seen kneeling in front of a younger version of her daughter in the desert, telling her: "You must not be afraid."