Here We Go Again

“It is 2020, you would think we would be in a better place by now.”

This was the starting line in the final paragraph of an article I wrote during my freshman year of high school, titled “Melanin in the Media.” As a frustrated (at that time) aspiring actress, I was expressing my disappointment in the lack of minority representation in the media – especially for women of color.

Over four years later, the issue persists.

The casting for the film adaptation of the 2018 New York Times Best Selling young-adult fantasy novel, “The Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi, has faced extreme backlash online for several reasons. 

When the casting was revealed on Jan. 22, the star-studded cast left many fans puzzled. When announcing the plan to convert the award-winning novel into a live-action film, Adeyemi advertised an open, global casting call.

Not only did the cast—filled with familiar faces—displease fans, but the woman cast for the lead, Thuso Mbedu, confused many. Zelie, the fictional main character from the novel, is described explicitly as having dark skin. Mbedu, on the other hand, is neither Nigerian nor dark-skinned.

Another main character, Princess Amari, is written to have been a victim of colorism in her palace due to her dark complexion, which was in sharp contrast to that of fairer-skinned family members. Amandla Steinberg, a light-skinned, half-white actor, will play Princess Amari. 

Coincidentally, I referenced Steinberg in my high school paper above while discussing black actresses who are overused in the industry. Their character will be fictional siblings with Damson Idris, who plays Prince Inan. Idris happens to be a dark-skinned male, which completely reverses the canonical alienation of Princess Amari from her family.

Fans across social media platforms such as X, TikTok, and Instagram are expressing disappointment in the author’s inability to follow through on her word about fresh-faced casting and her final choices for each character.

Some users suggested that an animated adaptation would’ve been a better option.

“...black female characters are rarely cast correctly in these projects, and animation would have avoided all these issues”, said @aftermidnitte on X.

Other X users proposed that there should be more black independent films to ensure that up-and-coming actors will have an opportunity to make their big break.

As  a movie-lover myself, these are fair suggestions. However, rather than avoiding this system, it needs to be dismantled. Black executives in the film and television industry need to resist the dollar signs that come with a famous and glamorous cast.  They should prioritize the artistic integrity of source material (stay true to the story) and commit to uplifting the communities associated with the work.

Despite the media uproar and complaints regarding the film, Variety posted that Paramount Pictures plans to release the film in IMAX on Jan. 15, 2027.

So here I am, in 2025, writing about the same problem of lackluster representation in film and TV. The fate of African and dark-skinned portrayals today falls into the hands of our future casting directors. Where do we go from here?