rewrite this title Children of Blood and Bone author says the movie is “the worst thing I have ever had to live through”

The first official trailer for Children of Blood and Bone was released yesterday, giving fans a peek at the adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling fantasy novel. But you know who won’t be watching the film? Tomi Adeyemi. The author has previously said she refuses to watch the adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone, and now she’s gone even further.

In a five-minute video posted on social media today, she explained that the film has been “the worst thing I have ever had to live through” and “I never want to hear about this project again.“

Tomi Adeyemi on the Children of Blood and Bone Movie

“What I’m about to share is not a secret to the people involved,” she said in the five-minute video. “It’s a reality that I’ve had to live with for about a year and a half, and everyone involved, at least at the highest level, has been made aware of this reality, and they haven’t done anything to make it better. If anything, they’ve only antagonized me, and I accept that. But I also accept if I don’t say something, I think it’s just going to be worse.“

She continued, alleging that she’s still being antagonized behind the scenes. “I’m not going to speak on what I endured to make it through the young adult trilogy, and I’m not going to speak about everything that I also suffered through or endured to make the adaptation a reality,” Adeyemi said. “I’m actually only going to speak about what happened after I left that set of my own film adaptation, hyperventilating and sobbing. There are many witnesses, so it’s not really a secret. I came back to America and suffered such severe somatic pain and so many panic attacks. I knew it was so bad that I would never ever be able to watch this film, and I made peace with that.“

“And as I am still being antagonized behind the scenes, which is where I hoped all of this would stay,” she said, “it’s become apparent to me that reality needs to at least be made known, so that you guys can understand how this film, which I worked on to make it a little better for us to be alive, is also the worst thing I have ever had to live through.“

I’d imagine that Paramount isn’t too happy about the author publicly trashing the project, on which she’s credited as co-writer. This likely won’t be the last we hear of this controversy, especially as people want to know exactly what went on behind the scenes, but I do wonder how all of this will affect the film’s box office.

All About Children of Blood and Bone

“In the epic fantasy world of Orïsha, a young woman goes on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people,” reads the description. “She and her brother ally with the daughter and son of the king to fight back against his brutal rule.“

The film was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood from a script that she co-wrote with Adeyemi. It stars Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Zackary Momoh, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Regina King, Idris Elba and Viola Davis.

Children of Blood and Bone will be released in theaters on January 15, 2027.