Tomi Adeyemi says she will never adapt another one of her books for film after Children of B**** and Bone. The author built the Kingdom of Orïsha in a 2018 debut novel that grew into the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy. Paramount has the screen version lined up for early next year, with Gina Prince-Bythewood directing and a big-name ensemble. Behind that glossy rollout, the story is more tangled.

While the film counts down to opening day, its author looks back on its making, and the memories are rough.

Adeyemi will never again adapt one of her books for film after Children of B**** and Bone. The bestselling author made that call after filming the Paramount adaptation. The decision lands months before the movie opens on January 15. Back in July, she called the adaptation her worst experience yet in a viral TikTok, and now more details are emerging.

"The whole journey of the trilogy and the adaptation felt biblical … It took all of me." Adeyemi said in a recent interview with The Guardian, as the trilogy now carries a personal price.

She then added, "So there’s nothing for me to add, other than the clarity that these aren’t my choices."

In the interview with The Guardian, Adeyemi declined to name specifics about what happened on set. Her earlier TikTok described hyperventilating and crying during production, with panic attacks and physical pain following her home to America. Asked whether she wanted to clarify the casting of Amandla Stenberg, Adeyemi said a director makes every decision on a film, so those choices were not hers. She still has no plans to watch it.

Is ‘The Woman King’ Available on Netflix? Where Can You Watch the Action/Drama Flick?

While Adeyemi keeps her distance, Paramount is putting Orïsha in front of the world next January.

Children of B**** and Bone reaches global theaters on January 15, 2027, courtesy of Paramount Pictures. Thuso Mbedu leads as Zélie Adebola, joined by Damson Idris as Crown Prince Inan, Stenberg as Princess Amari, and Tosin Cole as Tzain. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays King Saran, while Viola Davis, Regina King, Idris Elba, and Cynthia Erivo fill the supporting roster. The story follows Zélie racing to restore magic before the summer solstice.

Paramount released a teaser trailer set to the Beyoncé song 'Energy,' which leans on practical sets and Yoruba-inspired costumes instead of heavy CGI. Gina Prince-Bythewood, who co-wrote the script with Tomi Adeyemi, filmed across South Africa and Nigeria to keep Orïsha grounded. Mbedu, Davis and Lashana Lynch reunite with her after The Woman King. Prince-Bythewood likened the cast to the 1996 Bulls. Orïsha gets one film from Adeyemi, and that is where it ends.

Paramount’s ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ Movie Drama Explained: Why Author Tomi Adeyemi Won’t Watch the Adaptation

What are your thoughts on Tomi Adeyemi ruling out future adaptations after this film? Let us know in the comments.