“I had the opportunity to meet Tomi, the novelist, for the first time … And she goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and you were cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, and people said that Rue’s death wouldn’t be as sad because you’re a Black girl—that inspired me to write this series so that Black girls like you and Black girls of all shades could have a story written about them,’” Stenberg said. “We started crying, and I said to myself, ‘God wants me here.’”
During a June 2025 interview, podcaster Zethu Gqola asked Adeyemi about the criticism around the actor’s casting, to which the author responded that she “understand[s] when people are frustrated.” She also addressed the concerns over Nigerian representation.
“If you need me to be a punching bag, I get it because just like you, I’ve been hurt so many times by this industry and the feeling of being erased by it.” She added, “If you feel brokenhearted by this, I don’t think you’ll feel like that when you’re sitting in the theaters. I promise you, this world is so beautiful and we’re all in it and that’s so beautiful to me.”
During the interview, Adeyemi also noted that the film features Nigerian actors selected from the casting call filmmakers held across the West African country.
The film also features Saniyya Sidney, Diaana Babnicova, Bukky Bakray, Ayra Starr, Pamilerin Afolake Ayodeji, Shamz Garuba, Kola Bodunde and Tèmítópé Fágbénlé.
