Disney Takes Interest in ‘Children of Blood and Bone’, May Become a Lucasfilm Project

Even though Disney is pulling back on the films that 20th Century Fox is developing after a disappointing third quarter performance at the box office, there are still some properties in the acquisition that are enticing enough to move forward. While the gestating adaptation of The Mouse Guard was shut down, they have apparently taken a liking to Children of Blood and Bone, which is based on the best-selling novel by Tomi Adeyemi. It might even end up being a Lucasfilm project.

Deadline has word that This Is Us writer Kay Oyegun is in the midst of making a deal to write a new script adapting Children of Blood and Bone. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is interested in possibly turning the adaptation into the first project they produce under the Disney banner that isn’t a Star Wars or Indiana Jones movie. When you read the official synopsis below, you’ll see that it sounds unlike anything Lucasfilm has done before, at Disney or otherwise:

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers?and her growing feelings for an enemy.

As of now, director Rick Famuyiwa (who just landed a gig directing Uptown Saturday Night) is still attached to direct the project after it was originally situated at Fox 2000. Over there, Temple Hill producers Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, and John Fischer were all attached, along with Famuyiwa and his VERSE production banner and Karen Rosenfelt from Sunswept Entertainment. But now that the studio is under Disney, it’s up to the House of Mouse and Lucasfilm to see what happens.

For the time being, Fox executive Emma Watts is still overseeing Fox properties that survived the transfer over to Disney (though that number has significantly decreased), and this is one of the few preexisting projects that will likely make it out of development over at Disney. That makes perfect sense since a sequel to the book is due out later this year, which means this could be the launch of a new franchise. But that depends on whether Lucasfilm ends up liking the new script. We’ll keep you posted.

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