ALEX BROWN
Paramount Pictures released the second trailer for Children of Blood and Bone on November 12, offering the biggest look yet at Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling fantasy novel. The film opens in US theaters, premium large formats and IMAX on January 15, 2027, with the UK release following on January 22. Alongside the trailer, the studio revealed that Nigerian star Tems is leading the soundtrack with a new single.
Watch the Children of Blood and Bone trailer
The new footage is noticeably darker than the first trailer. It puts the conflict front and center, with a king determined to keep magic buried and a young woman whose power could topple him. The tagline in the official description sums it up: to take down an empire, rise as one.
What is Children of Blood and Bone about?
The story takes place in Orïsha, a West African-inspired fantasy kingdom where magic was violently stripped from the Maji people years earlier. Zélie, a young divîner, sets out on a quest to bring it back. She teams up with her older brother Tzain and, unexpectedly, with Princess Amari, the king’s daughter, while the king’s son Inan hunts them. Adeyemi’s 2018 novel became a publishing phenomenon and launched the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy.
Children of Blood and Bone cast
- Thuso Mbedu as Zélie
- Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole
- Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Zackary Momoh, Richard Mofe-Damijo
- Chiwetel Ejiofor, Regina King
- Idris Elba and Viola Davis
That is one of the most stacked ensembles of any fantasy film in recent memory, with multiple Oscar winners and nominees in supporting roles. Prince-Bythewood previously directed Davis and Mbedu in The Woman King, so this is a reunion as much as a new franchise bid.
Release date
- US: January 15, 2027, in theaters, PLF and IMAX
- UK: January 22, 2027, in cinemas and IMAX
The soundtrack
Tems is the soundtrack’s executive music producer, and her new song “African Love Song” plays in the trailer. Paramount also named featured artists including Burna Boy, Ayra Starr and Fireboy DML, with Burna Boy serving as executive music consultant. Ayra Starr also appears in the cast list.
Why the January slot matters
Some fans worried when the film landed in January rather than the crowded holiday corridor. But January has become a useful launch window for big genre films that want breathing room, away from Avengers: Doomsday and the rest of December. It is also one of the first major tentpoles on the 2027 calendar, alongside other trailers we covered this week such as Ray Gunn, which arrives a month earlier on Netflix.
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Sources: Paramount Pictures UK (YouTube), FirstShowing, Paramount press release via Keith Loves Movies