It has been a long road for Tomi Adeyemi’s literary sensation, one marked by its share of corporate reorganisations, the usual development purgatory and high-stakes moves from studio to studio. Now at last the story is being put on the big screen in all its glory. Paramount Pictures has put out the first official trailer for Children of Blood and Bone, and it gives a sense of the scale behind what promises to be the decade’s most audacious fantasy epic.
Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King) is at the helm and the trailer does not hold back in drawing you into the perilous, vivid world of Orïsha. You see right away the political and emotional undercurrents at play: a land that was once alive with magic in the very soil until a hardline monarch put an end to it with a bloody culling of the magical maji.
A Visual Feast Grounded in Scale
There is no mistaking the extent of Paramount’s commitment in this new footage. From the sweeping vistas to the detail in the costumes and some hard-hitting tactical action, it is a visual spectacle. Thuso Mbedu makes an impression as Zélie Adebola; as the rebellion builds, she is shown with a steely resolve to put distance between herself and the crown and make her way across the kingdom to perform the rite that will restore magic to her people.
Hollywood has been taking notice of the ensemble assembled here, and the trailer offers a taste of why. Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari and Damson Idris lend their considerable presence to the story’s key alliance. And there are moments with the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo that speak to the dramatic heft of the whole undertaking.
On the Road to 2027
Unveiling the first trailer is no small matter for a project with this kind of pedigree. The film rights were in the hands of Fox 2000 well before the book was even on store shelves in 2018, and after a stint with Disney and Lucasfilm, it has made its way to Paramount. With an exclusive IMAX and theatrical run set for January 15, 2027, the studio is making no bones about treating this as more than your typical YA fare; it is being put forward as the cornerstone of a franchise.
The promotional push is now in full swing and this initial offering from Prince-Bythewood and her team shows they have no qualms about delving into the emotional core and cultural mythology that defines Adeyemi’s world. Judging by what is on screen, Orïsha is poised to make its mark on the cinematic landscape.
A Statement of Intent
It is easy to expect a modern fantasy blockbuster to be all generic CGI and little else. This first look at Children of Blood and Bone is magnetic for precisely the opposite reasons, with an emphasis on physicality and texture over empty spectacle. In putting out a trailer of this calibre, Paramount is establishing a new tentpole standard.