Cynthia Erivo Stars in Trailer for Legal Drama Film Prima Facie

Sony Pictures released a first trailer for the legal drama film Prima Facie, starring Cynthia Erivo as a British barrister navigating a career-altering case. Directed by Susanna White and adapted from Suzie Miller’s acclaimed play, the movie heads to U.K. and Irish theaters on November 13.

Cynthia Erivo Steps Into Tessa’s Role as Sony Pictures Drops First Trailer

The cinematic adaptation of Suzie Miller’s celebrated stage production brings Wicked star Cynthia Erivo into the central role of Tessa, a successful London barrister who has built her career defending men accused of sexual assault. Directed by Susanna White from a screenplay penned by Miller, who also penned the 2019 play, the adaptation follows Tessa’s confidence as she dominates the courtroom before a life-altering event upends her core beliefs.

The movie adaptation of an acclaimed stage play starring Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer has just released a first trailer, with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo taking over the role of protagonist Tessa. Tessa’s attitude towards women reporting sexual crimes changes when she experiences one firsthand.

Erivo takes over the protagonist role from Comer, who won both Olivier and Tony awards for her acclaimed performances in the West End and Broadway productions. The newly released preview offers glimpses of Tessa’s confident approach to her cases, setting up a jarring contrast with the sombre post-assault scenes. As she speaks with the police and later attends the trial, Tessa finds herself put through the wringer, with her story highlighting how the justice system, of which she is a cog, can fail survivors of sexual assault.

Festival Premieres and Early Critical Division

Prima Facie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will receive its European premiere at the BFI’s London Film Festival on 13 October, ahead of its scheduled November theatrical rollout in the U.K. and Irish theaters starting Nov. 13. No North American release dates have been announced yet.

The film has been described as a powerful exploration of a woman’s fight for justice and the power dynamics at play in a patriarchal world with a “captivating” performance from Erivo (via LFF).

While critics unanimously praised Erivo’s turn as Tessa as “shattering(via Awards Watch) andriveting(via The Jam Report), some pointed out how Prima Faciestruggles to feel truthful, or engaging” (via Screen International). First reviews have highlighted how the change in medium doesn’t benefit the story. At TIFF, the film earned mostly negative reviews, earning a scathing Rotten Tomatoes score of 25% from 12 reviews, with several critics noting that the expansion diminished the story’s original theatrical punch.

“Unlike Comer, Erivo has to share the space with other people and must perform in real time what was, on stage, only recollection. In doing so, much of the exciting punch of Prima Facie has been washed away.”

The Guardian, via Digital Spy

An Ensemble Cast and Shifting Power Dynamics

Alongside Erivo, the production features a substantial supporting ensemble. Daniel Ings co-stars alongside Toheeb Jimoh and Noma Dumezweni. Additional cast members include Simon Russell Beale, Elizabeth Dulau, and Harry Treadaway, with The Gentlemen star Daniel Ings portraying Tessa’s colleague Julian Brooks.

Cynthia Erivo Stars in Trailer for Legal Drama Film Prima Facie — Photo: Digital Spy

Reviewers point to the adaptation’s heavy narrative approach as a central point of debate. IndieWire similarly pointed out that film’s over-exposition as one of its main flaws, writing: A film about the failures of a system that demands women prove their experiences. Unfortunately, it seems unable to trust either its protagonist or its audience without supplying proof, explanation, and justification at every turn. Despite these critiques, festival notices continue to characterize the release as a powerful exploration of institutional power dynamics within a patriarchal legal framework.