Tomi Adeyemi withdraws from NYCC appearance as cast of ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ promotes upcoming movie

Tomi Adeyemi cancelled her New York Comic Con panel for new novel The Siren as attention continues around her public criticism of the Children of Blood and Bone film adaptation.

Tomi Adeyemi’s absence from New York Comic Con has drawn attention to the author’s increasingly public distance from the upcoming film adaptation of her bestselling fantasy novel, Children of Blood and Bone.

Adeyemi was scheduled to appear on Saturday, October 10, to discuss her new book, The Siren. However, the panel did not take place as planned, with no advance public announcement explaining her withdrawal.

Variety, in a report by Tanya Fedak, cited a source who said Adeyemi cancelled the appearance last month and that it was quietly removed from the convention’s programme. Representatives for Adeyemi, her agency CAA and publisher Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group had not responded to requests for comment at the time of the report.

The cancellation comes after months of public criticism from Adeyemi about the experience of adapting Children of Blood and Bone for the screen.

In July, she described the production process as “the worst thing I have ever had to live through” and said she left the set “hyperventilating and sobbing,” according to The Guardian. She also said she experienced severe physical pain and panic attacks afterwards. The author has not publicly detailed every aspect of what happened behind the scenes.

Adeyemi co-wrote the screenplay for the Paramount Pictures adaptation, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Despite her involvement, she has said she does not intend to watch the finished film and does not want to adapt another of her books for the screen.

Her withdrawal from NYCC was particularly notable because the convention also hosted a separate panel for the film later that Saturday. Cast members including Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris and Cynthia Erivo were among those associated with the event. Variety reported that the discussion proceeded without any of the panelists or moderator Rian Johnson directly addressing Adeyemi’s absence.

Prince-Bythewood instead spoke about the casting process and the enthusiasm surrounding the adaptation, saying the book’s popularity helped attract actors who wanted to participate.

The film has also faced discussion over Stenberg’s casting as Princess Amari, a character described in the novel as having dark copper skin. Adeyemi and Stenberg have appeared to fall out publicly, although the author has declined to explain the full circumstances.

Adeyemi’s new novel, The Siren, marks a separate creative project as she turns her attention away from the adaptation dispute. Children of Blood and Bone is scheduled to reach theatres on January 15, 2027.

Neither Adeyemi nor NYCC publicly confirmed a reason for the cancelled panel in the reporting available, so any direct connection between her absence and the film controversy remains unconfirmed.