The Paramount Pictures adaptation of the hit YA book “Children of Blood and Bone” is taking another step toward the big screen, with Gina Prince-Bythewood signing on to direct.
Prince-Bythewood will develop the next pass of a draft penned by author Tomi Adeyemi.
The action fantasy novel follows heroine Zélie Adebola, who belongs to a class of magic practicioners know as the maji, as she attempts to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, following the ruling class kosidáns’ brutal suppression of her people.
Rights to the 2018 book by Nigerian American novelist Adeyemi were acquired by Paramount in 2022 after a planned adaptation by Fox2000 and then Disney’s Lucasfilm stalled. Prince-Bythewood will develop another pass of a draft written by Adeyemi, who will also executive produce the film alongside Reggie Rock Bythewood. Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill Entertainment, Karen Rosenfelt of Sunswept Entertainment, and Matt Jackson of Jackson Pictures will produce. Paramount senior VP of production Mika Pryce will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.
Prince-Bythewood is well-versed in the action genre, most recently helming the historical epic “The Woman King,” starring Viola Davis as the leader of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s, as well as the Netflix hit “The Old Guard,” with Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne. Prince-Bythwood’s acclaimed filmography also includes “The Secret Life of Bees,” “Beyond the Lights” and “Love & Basketball,” which was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry on Wednesday. The filmmaker is repped by CAA and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein Lezcano Bobb & Dang.
“Children of Blood and Bone” and its sequel “Children of Virtue and Vengeance,” both of which debuted at No. 1 on the NY Times bestseller list, are published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, a Macmillan imprint. The third and final book in the trilogy, titled “Children of Anguish and Anarchy,” will be published on June 25, 2024.
Deadline was first to report news of Prince-Bythewood’s involvement.
