Thuso Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris and Tosin Cole to Star in ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ at Paramount (EXCLUSIVE)

Thuso Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris and Tosin Cole are taking on the lead roles in the highly-anticipated film adaptation of “Children of Blood and Bone.” Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing the action fantasy film, based on Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling novel, for Paramount Pictures.

The studio has also dated the film for release on Jan. 15, 2027 in Imax.

Mbedu, who previously starred in Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic “The Woman King,” will play Zelie, a young woman living in a fantasy African kingdom who embarks on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people by the ruthless King Saran. The story follows Zelie and her older brother Tzain (Cole) as they form an alliance with the king’s daughter, Princess Amari (Stenberg) and son, Prince Inan (Idris) to fight back against his brutal rule.

“I am so honored and excited to bring Tomi’s ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ and the vibrant world of Orisha to life,” said Prince-Bythewood. “Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies.”

Published in 2018, Adeyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone” has become a smash hit, with the novel and its two sequels, “Children of Virtue and Vengeance” and “Children of Anguish and Anarchy” (collectively known as the “Legacy of Orïsha” trilogy) spending a combined 175 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. In total, the series has sold almost three million copies worldwide and garnered critical acclaim, with “Children of Blood and Bone” being featured as a Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time; a New York Times Notable Children’s Book; and a Kirkus Prize Finalist, among other distinctions.

Plus, with Stenberg’s casting, Adeyemi’s journey comes full-circle: in interviews promoting the first novel, the young author explained that “The Hunger Games” — and particularly the backlash to Stenberg’s casting as Rue and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna in the 2012 film — inspired her to begin writing about the Black experience.

“I’m the kind of person who gets motivated by anger, so I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m going to write a story that’s so good and so Black that everyone’s going to have to read it even if you’re racist,’” Adeyemi told EW. “That became my writing mission.”

In 2022, Paramount Pictures President and co-CEO Brian Robbins and Motion Picture Group co-presidents Daria Cercek and Mike Ireland acquired the rights to the the “Legacy of Orïsha” trilogy in a highly competitive bidding war. Since then, the project has been a top priority for the studio leadership. In Dec. 2023, Prince-Bythewood was announced to direct “Children of Blood and Bone” and co-write the screenplay with Adeyemi, with casting as the next crucial step.

In addition to breakout talents Mbedu, Stenberg (“The Hate U Give,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies”), Idris (“Snowfall,” “F1”) and Cole (“Supacell”), the film will feature an incomparable ensemble cast including Academy Award winner Viola Davis (“The Woman King,” “G20”) as Mama Agba; Grammy and Emmy winner and Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”) as Admiral Kaea; SAG Award winner Idris Elba (“Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”) as Lekan; BAFTA winner Lashana Lynch (“Bob Marley: One Love,” “Day of the Jackal”) as Jumoke; and Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) as King Saran.

In negotiations to join the cast are Academy Award winner Regina King (“Shirley”) as Queen Nehanda; Diaana Babnicova (“Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot”) as Folake; and Bukky Bakray (“Rocks”) as Binta. Also forthcoming will be additional castings from an open casting call for actors living in Nigeria.

With this impressive ensemble nearly assembled, production on “Children of Blood and Bone” is set to begin in South Africa in the coming weeks.

Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill Entertainment, together with Karen Rosenfelt of Sunswept Entertainment — the filmmaking team behind the “Twilight” series – will produce the film alongside Matt Jackson of Jackson Pictures. Adeyemi and Reggie Rock Bythewood will executive produce.

Stenberg is repped by Entertainment 360, UTA, imPRint and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lescano Bobb & Dang; Idris is represented by CAA, M88 and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox; and Cole is represented by CAA, Curtis Brown, Ed Smith and Tapestry.

Davis is represented by CAA and the Lasher Group; Erivo is represented by UTA, Entertainment 360, Peikoff Mahan and The Lede Company; and Elba is represented by The Artists Partnership, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole and The Lede Company.

King is repped by CAA, John Carrabino Management, Ascend Artist Representation and Gang, Tyre, Ramer; Babnicova is repped by Gersh, ColorCreative, Sylvia Young Agency in the UK and lawyer Derek Kroeger; and Bakray is repped by Entertainment 360, Independent Talent Group, Granderson Des Rochers