Ferdinand Ekechukwu
Following a bidding competition involving Netflix, Universal, and Amazon, Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to Nigerian-American writer/storyteller, Tomi Adeyemi’s Best-Selling Young Adult (YA) Book Series ‘Children of Blood and Bone’. Adeyemi will supervise, write the script and serve as executive producer. She was barely 24-years-old and had just graduated from college when she landed a seven-figure book contract for creating and developing the captivating plot.
“Children of Blood and Bone”, released in 2018, is the first novel in a young adult fantasy series, which reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. “Children of Virtue and Vengeance”, the sequel, in her fantasy trilogy – Legacy of Orisha, was released in 2019. According to reports, the third book in the series will be released in 2023. The book continues the original story that started in Adeyemi’s ground-breaking debut.
The novel, ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ chronicles the life of teen diviner, Zélie’s quest to bring magic back to the nation of Orïsha after her mother and the rest of the community were murdered on orders of the King. The Forbes “30 Under 30” class of 2020 honoree, took to her Instagram page to share the good news. She said, “I can finally share the news. To you guys for being patient with me. There has been so much going on behind the scenes with the movie and finishing up Book 3, and I have been dying to share every update with you.
“First things first, CBB has a new home!!! I’m going to be working with the incredible team @paramountpics to bring Zélie’s story to life because ya girl is now writing and executive producing the movie. And I’m only a couple drafts away from finishing book 3. I’m turning it into my publisher in a few months, and then it’s straight to print and in your hands in 2023. Thank you again for being patient with me it’s a BIG finale and I am so excited about the final installment in this adventure.
“I can’t wait to take you all back to orïsha. This is all more than a dream come true. I won’t stop till the work is done. Love you all more than you know for making this a reality and supporting me and the creation of this story is so many ways. See you at the theatres #childrenofbloodandbone.”
Named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020, The 28-year-old creative writing coach is best known for her #1 NY Times bestselling book ‘Children of Blood and Bone’, which was also featured on TIME’s list of best Young Adult and Children’s books of 2018, drawing comparisons with everything from Game of Thrones to Black Panther. Adeyemi’s West African-inspired fantasy debut is acknowledged a powerful rumination on race and social justice.
Adeyemi once told The Huffington Post that she was motivated to write the novel after seeing racist reactions to the casting of actors of colour in The Hunger Games movies. The book has won numerous awards including the 2018 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, the 2019 Waterstones Book Prize, and the 2019 Hugo Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book.
“Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone has not only become a phenomenon in the YA world, it has transformed every expectation of what world-building fantasy can be,” said Co-President of Paramount Pictures Motion Group Daria Cercek in a release. “It’s with enormous pride that our studio — along with Tomi and our partners Wyck, Marty and Karen — set out to bring this franchise to life on the big screen. With its thought-provoking and timely themes, we know that this story will resonate with a global audience.”
