Summary

• Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to adapt the bestselling YA novel Children of Blood & Bone into a three-movie deal, with the author Tomi Adeyemi involved in the project.
• The book's story, which tackles themes of race, discrimination, and abuse of power, has drawn comparisons to the Hunger Games series and is considered a groundbreaking magical allegory of the Black experience.
• The film adaptation needs to address the underdevelopment of the main character, Zélie, in order to ensure success. By focusing on Zélie's unique qualities and motivations, the movie can differentiate her from other YA fantasy heroes and create a more compelling narrative.

The best-selling YA novel Children of Blood & Bone is reportedly in the process of being adapted to screen, but this movie will have to fix one big Zélie problem. Paramount Pictures has reportedly acquired the rights to a fantasy YA movie adaptation, it has all the necessary ingredients to be a hit, albeit the main character raises a challenge.

The Children of Blood & Bone's groundbreaking story is considered a magical allegory of the Black experience, as explained by the author during an interview with Jimmy Fallon. Its New York Times best-selling story has been compared to the Hunger Games books, thanks to its female-led story of violence, classism, discrimination, and abuse of power. While the film is still in its early stages of development, Children of Blood & Bone may want to consider addressing a problem that could influence the adaptation's success.

The Children Of Blood & Bone Movie Can Fix Zélie Book Complaints

As pure as Blood & Bone's intentions are, there have been complaints among the fantasy fandom that question the book's execution. Although its overarching themes about race and discrimination are well-developed, the book is not without its issues. The Children of Blood & Bone's story felt underdeveloped at some times, and the story's hero, Zélie, could use a little fine-tuning.

Zélie's narrative isn't as strong as it should be, making her voice indistinguishable from other heroes in the YA fantasy genre, a problem that is not exclusively to The Children of Blood & Bone. At the same time, there have also been complaints that Zélie's character isn't very likable and that her poor decision-making and immaturity caused people to lose interest in the story. Hollywood may want to consider addressing these flaws in Zélie's character development if she's going to be the driving force of a fantasy epic trilogy.

The Children of Blood & Bone movie could leave out some of the emphasis on romance– another popular complaint about the book– and focus more on flushing out Zélie's POV, allowing audiences to get to know her better. The film could shift the focus to what makes Zélie tick, and play up her redeeming qualities (like her ion for being a caretaker for her family.) These personal touches will help set Zélie apart from the other leads in fantasy epics and provide insight into her temperament and poor decision-making.

Why The Children Of Blood & Bone Movie Needs To Get Zélie Right

It's important that The Children Of Blood & Bone movie nails the character of Zélie. As the main character of the film's franchise, the movie's success or failure rests on her shoulders. Zélie's likability and ability to connect with audiences is the subtle difference between The Children of Blood & Bone movie being a global phenomenon or a major flop. The history of YA cinema has shown that no matter a film's intentions, the hero's ability to connect with audiences has a major influence on a film's cultural impact. If Zélie's character does not work or is underdeveloped, it will be all the film will be known for, possibly playing against the chances of a trilogy.