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Tomi Adeyemi wrote the book, helped write the movie and signed on as an executive producer. Now she wants nothing to do with the finished film. On TikTok, the author of Children of Blood and Bone announced she will never watch the adaptation of her novel. For a project this big, her walkout ranks among the strangest stories in Hollywood right now.
Tomi Adeyemi breaks her silence
Adeyemi shared her feelings directly with her readers on the platform. She said there is a reason she never posts about the adaptation of her work. Furthermore, she confirmed she has not watched the film and does not plan to. Holding all of this back, she admitted, has been painful. She also apologized to fans who assumed she stopped caring, insisting she cares about them more than any Hollywood shine.
Her reasons remain the biggest mystery. She did not explain what drove the split. One possibility is that the filmmakers changed her story in ways she could not accept, though nothing confirms that. Meanwhile, the production went through reshoots earlier this year, which has only fed the speculation.
A troubled road to the screen
The film adapts Adeyemi’s bestselling novel about a young woman in an African fantasy kingdom. Her quest centers on restoring the magic that was violently stolen from her people. Gina Prince Bythewood directs, following her acclaimed 2022 film The Woman King. Her earlier credits include The Old Guard, Love and Basketball and The Secret Life of Bees. She has stayed deeply involved through every stage of the project.
On paper, the film looks like a heavyweight. The ensemble features Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Viola Davis and Lashana Lynch. Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tosin Cole and Regina King round out the cast. Few fantasy films have ever assembled that much talent in one place.
Even so, warning signs keep piling up. Footage screened at CinemaCon in April landed poorly, with few positive reactions to be found. Then Paramount scheduled the release for January 15, 2027. That month has a long reputation as a spot where studios quietly place films they no longer believe in. Add the reshoots and the author’s exit, and the picture darkens further.
What happens next
None of this guarantees a bad movie. Reshoots are common, release dates shift and early footage often improves. However, an author publicly refusing to watch her own adaptation is rare, especially one who helped write the script. Adeyemi built a devoted readership, and her stance may shape how those fans receive the film. Paramount has not responded publicly to her comments. Until someone explains what went wrong behind the scenes, the mystery may loom larger than the movie itself.
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