How 'Children of Blood and Bone' is bringing one of BookTok's biggest fantasy worlds to the big screen

For years, Orïsha existed only in readers' imaginations. Ever since Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi introduced readers to the West African-inspired fantasy kingdom in Children of Blood and Bone, fans have imagined its palaces, debated its heroes, and envisioned its magic through BookTok, fan art, and fancasts. On Monday night at New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music, audiences finally got their first glimpse of Hollywood's vision of Orïsha as director Gina Prince-Bythewood and members of the cast — including Thuso Mbedu, Regina King, Lashana Lynch, Tosin Cole, and Zackary Momoh — unveiled the film's first trailer. Ahead of the trailer's public release on Tuesday, Prince-Bythewood and the Children of Blood and Bone cast pulled back the curtain on adapting one of BookTok's defining fantasy novels. Set in Orïsha, the story follows Zélie Adebola (Mbedu), a young divîner determined to restore magic to the kingdom after a brutal king wipes out the maji and outlaws their powers. During a wide-ranging conversation moderated by writer and actor Lena Waithe, who joked onstage about once serving as Prince-Bythewood's assistant, the director offered a glimpse at the years of research, col