Regina King sits on a royal throne beside Chiwetel Ejiofor, while Cynthia Erivo stands before rows of soldiers in the first official images from “Children of Blood and Bone.”
The first look, shared on Instagram Thursday, offers the clearest view yet of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling novel. King appears as Queen Nehanda, Ejiofor as King Saran, and Erivo as Admiral Kaea addressing her troops.
The images also introduce Thuso Mbedu as Zélie Adebola, Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari, Damson Idris as Prince Inan, and Tosin Cole as Zélie’s brother, Tzain. Viola Davis, Idris Elba, and Lashana Lynch are also among the film’s sprawling ensemble.
Set in the fictional kingdom of Orïsha, the story follows Zélie, a young maji determined to restore magic and end the oppression of her people. She joins forces with her brother and Princess Amari as they challenge King Saran’s rule in a West African-inspired fantasy world.
The cast was announced in January 2025, drawing excitement over the scale of the Black-led production and criticism from some readers.
Concerns centered on the characters’ ages, the possibility of inconsistent Nigerian accents, and Stenberg’s casting as a dark-skinned character who experiences colorism in the novel.
Now some fans of the book are expressing disappointment that the costumes aren’t reflecting the Yoruba influence they were expecting to see, while others shared worries as the new images arrive less than two weeks after Adeyemi publicly distanced herself from the adaptation. Although she co-wrote the screenplay and serves as an executive producer, the author said she has not seen the completed film, will not watch it, and does not plan to promote the project.
“Children of Blood and Bone” is scheduled to open in theaters and IMAX on Jan. 15, 2027.
The film’s cast also includes Saniyya Sidney, Zackary Momoh, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ayra Starr, Pamilerin Ayodeji, Shamz Garuba, Kola Bodunde, Temi Fagbenle, Diaana Babnicova, and Bukky Bakray.
