Production on Children of Blood and Bone, the film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling novel, is moving full steam ahead in South Africa. Production officially surpassed its 69-day schedule and moved into second-unit filming on May 25, just after wrapping principal photography in Cape Town.

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the highly anticipated film—based on Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling debut novel—is currently filming in South Africa and boasts a dazzling ensemble cast. Thuso Mbedu stars as Zélie, alongside Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, Tosin Cole, and Ayra Starr, with Hollywood icons like Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor rounding out the lineup.

Photos and video clips have offered a look at the intense physical preparation behind the film’s action. The cast has been training rigorously at Basecamp Gym in Cape Town, undergoing strength and stunt conditioning with trainers Ashley Robinson and Gabriela Mclain. Ayra Starr, Damson Idris, Tosin Cole, Thuso Mbedu, Shamz Garuba, and others have been spotted in the gym, working through strength routines and stunt training for the film’s demanding fight sequences.

Off set, the cast and crew have also been enjoying their time in South Africa. They’ve been photographed going on walks, sharing dinners, and even gathering to watch Ryan Coogler’s Sinners together. The energy on and off screen suggests a strong camaraderie that’s helping to bring the world of Orïsha to life.

Tomi Adeyemi, the author behind the bestselling novel, recently shared her thoughts at a C2E2 spotlight panel. For Adeyemi, quality in adaptation was crucial. She admitted to being haunted by poorly executed stories she’d seen in the past, saying, “There were Netflix projects I watched ten years ago that still fill me with rage over how poorly done they were.” With Children of Blood and Bone, she set a high bar—and the production is delivering.

Adeyemi spent six weeks on set in South Africa and said she was surprised by how quickly the film won her over. She said, “I thought I was going to be feeling a certain way by the final battle in the movie. I was like, ‘When I see this moment, that’s when I’m going to rip the hinges off my seat and throw it at the screen full Hulk-style.’ I got there in battle one, in the staff fight. I literally almost threw my chair at the monitor—that’s how much adrenaline and female rage and like, [guttural voice] ‘YESSSSS’ was coursing through my body. And I was like, ‘What is our runtime right now? We’re four minutes into the movie?’ So it’s going to be absolutely exceptional.”

With a powerhouse cast, a passionate director, and a deeply involved author, Children of Blood and Bone is shaping up to be a landmark fantasy epic. The film is slated for IMAX release on January 15, 2027.