The Search is on for Nigerian Actors for the Film Adaption of Tomi Adeyemi’s ‘Children of Blood and Bone’
The highly-anticipated adaptation of ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ is being led by Gina Prince-Bythewood and could feature a handful of breakout local talent.
Tomi Adeyemi recently completed the trilogy of her young adult fantasy series, which started with ‘Children of Blood and Bone.’
The feature film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone is taking another tangible step forward, as a call for actors has been put out. The casting call sent out by director Gina Prince-Bythewood is specifically for actors living in Nigeria — male and female between the ages of 10 and mid-20s.
Potential actors are to send their headshot, info, and a one-minute monologue to casting@tmihp.com.
This is perhaps an indicator that the adaptation of Adeyemi’s young adult fantasy novel, which is rooted in Yoruba folklore and mysticism, will cast actors with the closest physical and spiritual proximity to the source material. Since it was announced that Children of Blood and Bone had been picked up by a major studio, even before it was published, anticipation for the adaptation feature has been high, with updates trickling in over the years, including news that Kay Oyegun and Rick Famuyiwa had been tapped as scriptwriter and director respectively.
Late last year, it was announced that Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, The Woman King) would now take charge of the project as director. Her choice to cast Nigerians in the film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone is laudable, ensuring that the adventures of Zélie Adebola and Adeyemi’s expansive world will remain authentic on screen.
Published in 2017, Children of Blood and Bone was the first in a trilogy of novels, with its sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, released two years later. In June, the final installment, Children of Anguish and Anarchy, was released, expanding the world of its predecessors with the addition of new civilizations.
Now that the trilogy is complete, Prince-Bythewood and her team have a rich, fully-formed story to work with.
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