Magic is returning to Orïsha, and Paramount has assembled half of Hollywood to make it happen. The official trailer has arrived for Children of Blood and Bone, bringing Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling fantasy novel to the screen with Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King, Task) leading an uprising against a murderous king. There are armies, enormous creatures, erupting powers and a Beyoncé needle drop that’s already divided viewers. Watch the trailer above and read on for what to know.

Thuso Mbedu Is Bringing Magic Back to Orïsha

Mbedu plays Zélie Adebola, a young woman living under the brutal rule of King Saran, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Years earlier, Saran violently stripped the kingdom of Orïsha of its magic and slaughtered those capable of wielding it, including Zélie’s mother. Now, Zélie has a chance to restore what was stolen and give the monarchy a very good reason to regret leaving her alive.

She is joined by her brother Tzain, played by Tosin Cole, before forming a dangerous alliance with Saran’s own children: Princess Amari, played by Amandla Stenberg, and Prince Inan, played by Damson Idris.

The trailer quickly sends the four of them across deserts, forests, waterfalls and bright pink waters as the king’s forces close in. Zélie’s abilities are also beginning to wake up. One of the biggest money shots finds her pulling branches and debris together into a towering magical warrior.

Gina Prince-Bythewood Took the Cast to Remote Locations

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Old Guard, Love & Basketball) previously delivered muscular action and sweeping African landscapes with The Woman King. Children of Blood and Bone gives her an even larger sandbox.

Filming took place in South Africa and the Canary Islands, with Prince-Bythewood determined to place the actors inside Orïsha rather than build the kingdom around them afterwards.

“I wanted to give the actors this 360 degree world to play in, and I didn’t want them to be surrounded by green screens,” the filmmaker said at a trailer launch event, as reported by People.

Reaching those environments was not always simple. Prince-Bythewood warned the cast that some sets required drives of three or four hours, followed by a half-hour walk across treacherous terrain.

Mbedu praised the director for making those journeys alongside the cast rather than watching from somewhere more comfortable. “One of my favorite things about Gina is her want to be a part of whatever it is that we’re experiencing,” she said.

Black Panther production designer Hannah Beachler helped build Orïsha’s villages and royal spaces, drawing from cultures and locations across the African diaspora. For Prince-Bythewood, the guiding question was: “How do we make magic feel cultural?”

This Ensemble Is Almost Showing Off

Mbedu already proved herself a commanding screen presence in The Underground Railroad and The Woman King. Paramount has surrounded her with enough dramatic firepower to make almost every trailer shot feel like its own casting announcement.

Alongside Mbedu, Idris, Stenberg, Cole and Ejiofor, the film features Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Zackary Momoh, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Regina King. The roll call also includes Idris Elba and Viola Davis, because apparently the ensemble was still lacking gravitas.

Davis plays Mama Agba, who helps prepare Zélie for the fight ahead, while King portrays Queen Nehanda. Ejiofor appears to be having an especially unpleasant time as King Saran, barking threats and ordering enough violence to make it clear that Orïsha’s magical comeback will not be welcomed with open arms.

Saniyya Sidney, Diaana Babnicova, Bukky Bakray, Ayra Starr, Shamz Garuba, Kola Bodunde, Pamilerin Afolake Ayodeji and Tèmítópé Fágbénlé also star.

Beyoncé Enters the Battle

The trailer shifts into excerpts from Beyoncé’s “Energy” as Zélie’s rebellion gathers momentum, bringing a thumping modern pulse to the fantasy world.

The track choice has already drawn criticism in the YouTube comment section. One viewer wrote, “Never thought a Beyoncé song would make me not like a trailer, could’ve chosen absolutely ANY OTHER song.” Another argued: “Would have been nice to highlight an African musician for the trailer.”

Whether the track feels electrifying or distracting, Paramount has succeeded in getting people to argue about the trailer. For a studio hoping to turn a fantasy novel into its next major franchise, indifference would have been the far greater problem.

Tomi Adeyemi Has Distanced Herself From the Film

The excitement surrounding the adaptation has been complicated by Adeyemi publicly distancing herself from it.

Although the author co-wrote the screenplay with Prince-Bythewood and remains credited as an executive producer, she has said that she will not promote the film, attend its premiere or watch the finished version.

“I’m just laying down my sword and officially separating my name because I can’t keep being hurt and attacked behind the scenes,” Adeyemi wrote in a reply to fans, as reported by The Guardian. She has not revealed the full details of what led to the breakdown.

She also shared an apparent message sent to Stenberg telling the actor not to contact her or use her name in interviews. The exchange followed controversy among some readers over Stenberg’s casting as Amari and concerns surrounding colourism, although the precise connection between that debate and Adeyemi’s wider issues with the production remains unclear.

Adeyemi has said that she does not object to fans watching the adaptation. She is instead encouraging readers who wish to support her directly to purchase the books through independent children’s bookshops.

It leaves a significant cloud over a film so closely associated with her name. Whether that affects its reception will depend on what else emerges and, ultimately, whether Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation can satisfy the readers who made the story a phenomenon.

Adeyemi’s original novel was published in 2018 and debuted at number one on The New York Times Young Adult Best Sellers list. It launched the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, followed by Children of Virtue and Vengeance in 2019 and Children of Anguish and Anarchy in 2024.

When Is Children of Blood and Bone Being Released?

Children of Blood and Bone will open in Australian cinemas on January 14 and U.S. cinemas on January 15, 2027.

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