Cynthia Erivo (Wicked, Harriet) is stepping into one of modern theatre’s most celebrated roles, previously played by Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, The Last Duel) in an Olivier- and Tony-winning performance. The official trailer has arrived for Prima Facie, the screen adaptation of Suzie Miller’s acclaimed play about a successful defence barrister whose faith in the legal system is shattered after she is sexually assaulted. Watch the trailer above and get the details below.
Cynthia Erivo Takes the Stand
Erivo stars as Tessa Ensler, a sharp London defence barrister whose ability to pull apart a case has helped send her career soaring. That includes defending men accused of sexual assault, a part of the job she approaches with the confidence of someone who understands exactly what can and cannot be proved in court.
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Then her life is violently upended. After Tessa is sexually assaulted by colleague Julian (Daniel Ings), years spent mastering the rules of the courtroom suddenly take on a very different meaning.
The trailer makes that reversal its centrepiece. We see Tessa thriving at work, commanding the room and relishing the battle, before that confidence begins to disappear. What follows puts her on unfamiliar ground, forcing her to confront just how difficult the search for justice can become when testimony, memory and credibility are all placed under scrutiny.
Jodie Comer Made Prima Facie a Stage Sensation
Prima Facie began as a one-woman play written by Australian playwright Suzie Miller, with Jodie Comer earning rave reviews as Tessa during its West End and Broadway runs. Comer won both an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for the performance, helping turn the production into an international success.
The movie isn’t simply putting another actress into that same one-person setup. Miller has adapted her play into a much broader screen story, giving faces and lives to people who were previously filtered through Tessa’s monologue.
Daniel Ings plays Julian, while Ted Lasso star Toheeb Jimoh portrays Tessa’s younger brother, Johnny, and Noma Dumezweni plays her mother, June. Simon Russell Beale, Harry Treadaway, Khalid Abdalla, Elizabeth Dulau and Elliot Levey also feature.
Behind the camera is Susanna White, whose credits include Generation Kill, Our Kind of Traitor and Woman Walks Ahead. Miller wrote the screenplay herself.
The Role Took Cynthia Erivo Somewhere Very Different From Wicked
Coming off the enormous undertaking of playing Elphaba across two Wicked movies, Erivo deliberately went somewhere very different with Tessa.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Erivo described Tessa and Elphaba as “polar opposites”, with the two roles demanding very different things from her as a performer.
Prima Facie certainly demanded plenty. Erivo, who also serves as an executive producer, worked with intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot and had the support of a therapist while filming some of the story’s most confronting material. She said there were moments when she pushed herself too far emotionally, triggering panic attacks and making it difficult to leave a scene behind.
The courtroom sequences could be similarly gruelling, with some takes reportedly running for more than half an hour as Tessa’s recollection of the assault is picked apart during cross-examination.
“There were times when I’d feel sick and angry or I’d feel betrayed … And it was hard to come away from that sometimes,” Erivo said.
The Early Critical Response Has Been Rough
For all the acclaim surrounding the play, the film hasn’t exactly come roaring out of TIFF. At the time of writing, Prima Facie is sitting at just 25% on Rotten Tomatoes and has a 46 Metascore. Critics have taken issue with various elements of the adaptation, with several questioning whether expanding such a concentrated piece of theatre into a more conventional feature has diluted some of its impact.
Erivo, however, has been a consistent bright spot. Even among the mixed and negative notices, her performance has repeatedly been highlighted. The Playlist, which gave the film a C, called Erivo “very, very good”, while other critics have similarly pointed to her work as one of the movie’s strongest elements.
So, no, Prima Facie isn’t heading towards cinemas with the sort of critical reception its celebrated source material may have suggested. But Erivo tackling a role that earned Comer some of the biggest honours in theatre gives this adaptation plenty to be curious about.
When Is Prima Facie Released?
Prima Facie will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on November 13, 2026, and Australian cinemas on January 14, 2027. A U.S. release date has yet to be announced.
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