‘Children of Blood and Bone’ Trailer Debuts at CinemaCon

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Paramount gave audiences a first glimpse of its upcoming fantasy film, Children of Blood and Bone, at CinemaCon this week. The movie is adapted from Tomi Adeyemi’s 2018 novel of the same name, the first book in the Legacy of Orïsha series. This series is set in a magical, fictional African kingdom. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood – her first film since the 2022 historical epic The Woman King, which starred Viola Davis – Children of Blood and Bone is scheduled for release in theaters on January 15, 2027.

The new film features Thuso Mbedu, known for her role in The Woman King, as Zelie, a powerful magic user who can control spirits of the dead. The first trailer, shown at CinemaCon, introduces the kingdom of Orisha, Zelie’s home. Orisha is divided into clans, each with unique abilities, but is ruled harshly by King Saran, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. He’s a cruel leader who uses fear to control those with magical powers.

Tosin Cole stars as Zelie’s brother, Tzain, alongside Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari and Damson Idris as Prince Inan. The impressive cast also features Lashana Lynch, and Academy Award nominees Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo. Joining them are Oscar winners Viola Davis and Regina King, who previously worked with the director on The Woman King, just like Thuso Mbedu.

A Movie That Sets Out to Master “Grounded Fantasy”

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at some footage from Prince-Bythewood’s new film before CinemaCon! She showed it to industry folks on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles and then chatted with Nischelle Turner from ET about how she’s bringing Adeyemi’s big, complex novel to life. She described it as a ‘grounded fantasy epic,’ which I think is a perfect way to put it – it feels epic in scope, but also really real and relatable.

Even though the story involves magic and fantasy, my goal was to make the audience feel connected to reality. That began with the visual design – everything from the sets and costumes to the actors we chose and how the action was staged – all contributed to creating that sense of realism.

She also emphasized the importance of filming in diverse locations throughout Africa.

We had originally planned to film on location, but I wanted the actors to feel completely immersed in the environment. That meant constructing physical sets instead of relying on computer-generated imagery. We also designed the costumes to reflect the diverse cultures of the continent. And for the action sequences, we insisted on practical effects – no wires or stunt performers, just our actors doing all the fighting themselves.

Gina Prince-Bythewood, who received an Oscar nomination for The Woman King, is expected to create a fantastic adaptation that will please readers of Adeyemi’s books.

Since there are more books in the series—like Children of Virtue and Vengeance and Children of Anguish and Anarchy—waiting to be made into movies, a successful adaptation could lead to a long-running film series based on the Legacy of Orïsha.

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2026-04-18 17:18