Sony Pictures unveiled the first trailer for “Prima Facie” on Tuesday, giving audiences their initial look at Cynthia Erivo’s turn as a barrister whose career collapses after she becomes the victim of the kind of crime she has spent her career defending against. Erivo plays Tessa, a working-class London lawyer who has built a formidable reputation representing men accused of sexual assault. When a colleague assaults her, she finds herself on the other side of the courtroom, forced to confront a justice system she once trusted without question.
The film, directed by Susanna White, adapts Suzie Miller’s one-woman stage play of the same name. That production turned into a global phenomenon after opening in Sydney in 2019, eventually winning the Olivier Award for Best New Play and earning Jodie Comer both an Olivier and a Tony for her solo performance in the title role. Miller expanded her own script for the screen, opening up what was originally a single-actor piece into a fuller courtroom drama with a supporting cast that includes Daniel Ings, Toheeb Jimoh, Noma Dumezweni and Simon Russell Beale.
Erivo, who also produces the film, spoke about the material after “Prima Facie” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. She said she connected with the script because it refused to paint Tessa as a simple, easily categorized figure, drawn instead to what she called the gray area running through the story. Critics at the festival were divided on the result. Some reviewers praised Erivo’s performance while faulting the film for leaning on heavy-handed voiceover and an ending they considered overly didactic, arguing the adaptation struggled to replicate the visceral force of Comer’s stage performance.
“Prima Facie” opens in UK and Irish theaters on November 13, with an Australian release following in January. A U.S. distribution deal has not yet been finalized, and the film’s American release date remains unannounced. Embankment Films is handling international sales alongside CAA and UTA Independent Film Group in the United States.
