Tems Named Executive Music Producer for ‘Children of Blood and Bone’

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer-songwriterTems has been named Executive Music Producer and Curator for Children of Blood and Bone, the fantasy epic adapted from Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling novel. 

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood made the announcement at a trailer screening at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, calling Tems the first woman to executive produce a film soundtrack at this scale. 

The appointment puts Tems at the creative center of one of 2027’s most anticipated releases, with three original songs already confirmed for the film.

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Children of Blood and Bone 

Originally written by Nigerian writer Tomi Adeyemi, Children of Blood and Bone debuted at number one on the New York Times bestsellers list. Set in the ancient West African-inspired kingdom of Orïsha, the young adult novel tells a story of rebellion and magic. The book follows the young protagonist Zélie Adebola as she fights to restore magic across the nation. Despite belonging to the fantasy genre, Children of Blood and Bone tackles serious topics like oppression and systemic injustice. Fans love the story for its vibrant use of West African traditions, mythology, and language. 

It has also received critical acclaim from major institutions, winning the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2018, the Hugo Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book in 2019, among many others. It is the first book in Adeyemi’s trilogy Legacy of Orïsha, which has sold 3 million copies worldwide. Since it was first released, fans have been desperate for a film adaptation. Finally, it has been slated for a January 2027 release. 

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Making of a Movie

When the book was first published by Macmillan in 2018, Fox Pictures bought the preemptive film rights. Then in 2022, following a serious bidding war, the project moved to Paramount Pictures in a new seven-figure deal. Gina Prince-Bythewood was officially announced as the director in 2023, and she and Adeyemi co-wrote the screenplay. 

Filmed in South Africa, the lead protagonist, Zélie Adebola, will be played by South African actress Thuso Nokwanda Mbedu. The star-studded cast also features Amandla Stenberg, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Idris Elba and Viola Davis. 

Earlier this year, Adeyemi shared on a TikTok video that she would not watch the final product. No further information on why she made this decision was shared with the public. 

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Tems’ Touch 

Prince-Bythewood purposefully selected Tems for this role. As part of her creative process, Prince-Bythewood builds playlists to write to. Two songs in particular stuck with her: Try Me by Tems and Alone by Burna Boy. “They have to be on the soundtrack. I want Tems to curate our soundtrack. I want her to EP,” she recalls deciding. 

As the Executive Music Producer, Tems is shaping the overall musical direction and soundscape of the movie to match its rich West African-inspired world. She will be bringing together a team of other African musicians for the project. Burna Boy will serve as the executive music consultant for the film. Reported features include Arya Starr, Fireboy DML, and BNXN. Tems will also be recording three brand new original songs of her own for the film’s tracklist. 

This is not the first time Tems has been involved in writing music for a major film. In 2022, Tems covered Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” and co-wrote Rihanna’s song “Lift Me Up” for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Soundtrack. “Lift Me Up” was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. 

Expanding her Horizon

“I think Tems is an excellent fit for this particular project, because she has always worked with spirit in her music and her interest in spiritual themes is evident from her very first single,” shared Efua Agyare-Kumi, Ghanaian-Nigerian singer-songwriter, composer, and co-founder of the BOISTORY Foundation for creative wellness, exclusively with UrbanGeekz. “She works so much with intuition and is very particular with her vision; so I am excited to see this manifest in the film. Because she has been directing and producing on quite a few of her own videos, this collaboration makes perfect sense to me.” 

Tems has received overwhelming praise and awards for her music. Now, as she steps into her biggest film role yet, fans are eager to see how her artistic vision shapes the movie’s soundtrack. As an African woman, she continues to inspire, breaking barriers and reshaping the narrative around what is possible. 

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer Tems