Paramount debuted the first look at its adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone at CinemaCon 2026 last week.
Revealed only to the room, the trailer teased the epic African fantasy based on Tomi Adeyemi’s novel of the same name.
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood was joined on stage by cast members Thuso Mbedu, Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, Regina King, and Chiwetel Ejiofor to promote the film.
Dressed in costume, each cast member took to the stage to explain what drew them to the film.
“Black girls deserve to see themselves in worlds of wonder, power and imagination,” explained King.
“I’m honoured to bring this incredible best-selling book to life,” added Prince-Bythewood.
Film News Blitz writer Sarah Sharp reveals more about this exciting adaptation.
The source material
Children of Blood and Bone is based on a young adult fantasy book trilogy by the Nigerian-American author Adeyemi.
The first book was released in 2018 and was promptly followed by its 2019 sequel. The final instalment in the series came out in 2024.
The series is set in the West African-inspired world of Orïsha.
It follows protagonist Zélie on her quest to restore magic to the land and overthrow its oppressive leadership that aimed to massacre the maji (those who practice magic).
The trilogy tackles themes of systemic oppression and the lingering trauma of genocide through a magic system heavily inspired by West African Yoruba mythology.
Who is involved in the adaptation?
Prince-Bythewood directs the adaptation, and it will be her first film since her 2022 project, The Woman King.
The cast is stacked and stars Mbedu (who made her film debut in The Woman King) as Zélie.
Mbedu is joined by Idris, Stenberg, Ejiofor and Lashana Lynch, alongside the Oscar-nominated Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo and Oscar winners King and Viola Davis.
Davis and Lynch also starred in Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King.
What we know so far
The trailer for Children of Blood and Bone was screened exclusively to the CinemaCon 2026 audience.
Before the CinemaCon release, Prince-Bythewood discussed her process.
“Despite this fantastical conceit of magic and fantasy, I wanted the audience to feel grounded like they were in the real world,” said the director.
She explained how this process starts with production design, then costume, then casting and then action.
They shot the film in various locations across Africa as Prince-Bythewood wanted the cast to have a real world to be in rather than exclusively CG.
The action also relied on the cast performing fight sequences rather than stunt doubles and wires.
The trailer revealed that the land of Orïsha is divided into clans with different magical abilities.
We see the king (Ejiofor) enacting a rule of terror to suppress the magic users: “A great power, once brought peace and balance to the land, but one night they took it away from us.”
The action-packed first look then turns to war, heavy on VFX and showing off its all-star cast.
Prince-Bythewood made a compelling statement when the film was originally announced: “Our incredible ensemble reflects the whole of the diaspora. This is where our magic lies.”
The epic fantasy is scheduled to release in theatres and IMAX on 17 January, 2027.
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