A film adaptation of “Prima Facie,” the smash-hit one-woman stage play starring Cynthia Erivo in the role that earned Jodie Comer both Tony and Olivier awards, will launch at the Cannes Film Market.
Embankment is handling international sales on the project, which was first announced by Variety in 2023.
BAFTA winner and Emmy nominee Susanna White (“Woman Walks Ahead,” “Star Wars: Andor”) will direct, with Australian playwright Suzie Miller having adapted her own critically-acclaimed stage play for the screen.
“Prima Facie,” which translates to “at first sight,” tells the propulsive story of ambitious and confident defense attorney Tessa. From working class roots, the rising star in the high-powered London legal system skillfully defends her clients — including those accused of sexual assault. But after she is raped by a colleague, she discovers that the law does not deliver justice along the boundaries of consent.
After first premiering in Sydney in 2019, “Prima Facie” had a hugely successful run on the West End in London in 2022, where it was nominated for five Olivier Awards, winning best new play and best actress for Comer. When it moved to Broadway the following year, Comer won the Tony Award for best actress. Comer is set to reprise her role in a new U.K. and Ireland tour planned for 2026.
Erivo is coming off the back of another adaptation of a stage production, Universal’s hugely successful musical “Wicked.” Her acclaimed lead turn as Elphaba resulted in her second Oscar best actress nomination (after “Harriet” In 2019), as well as BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG Award nods.
