Cynthia Erivo stars in 'Prima Facie' screen adaptation premiering at TIFF 2026
Susanna White directed the film adaptation of Suzie Miller's play, following a British defense barrister who becomes a survivor of sexual assault by a colleague.
World premiere in Toronto
The film adaptation of Suzie Miller's stage play "Prima Facie" held its world premiere at Roy Thomson Hall during the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2026. Directed by Susanna White, the film adapts the one-woman theatrical production into an expanded feature with a full cast. Cynthia Erivo, a Tony winner and two-time Oscar nominee for "Harriet" and "Wicked," stars as Tessa Ensler, a criminal defense barrister. Following the Sunday night screening, the audience in Toronto gave Erivo and the filmmaking team a standing ovation. The film entered the festival as a prominent sales title seeking distribution partners.
Adapting the stage production
The stage version of "Prima Facie" previously won Olivier Awards in London and a Tony Award on Broadway, with Jodie Comer starring in the solo role across both runs. The play has toured internationally and received translations into more than a dozen languages. Miller adapted her own text for the screen, working alongside White, whose previous directing credits include "Generation Kill," "Bleak House," and "Our Kind of Traitor." White acknowledged that adapting an acclaimed stage work was initially intimidating before collaborating directly with Miller. To transition from a spare stage monologue into a narrative feature, the film introduces physical courtroom scenes and supporting characters while retaining internal voiceover monologues.
- Jodie Comer stars in the West End premiere of Suzie Miller's one-woman play
- Broadway run of 'Prima Facie' earns Tony and Olivier awards for Comer and Miller
- Feature film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival
Courtroom themes and character background
The story follows Ensler, a working-class woman who attended Cambridge University on a scholarship and built a career defending clients accused of sexual assault at the Old Bailey. During a post-premiere discussion, Erivo explained that she met with Black female barristers in London to inform her portrayal of a working-class woman of color operating in the British legal system. The narrative examines the mechanics of the law, including a scene where Ensler explains to a coworker that legal defense can turn on whether an accused person believed consent was present. Her personal and professional circumstances unravel after a consensual date with fellow barrister Julian, played by Daniel Ings, leads to an assault in her apartment when she becomes ill from drinking.
Things can feel like they're permanent if no one does anything to shift or change them. The more we talk about it, the more we see it for what it is, the easier it will become for us to change things.
Dialogue on consent and accountability
The creative team stated that the film seeks to prompt public discussion about consent, sexual violence, and how court systems handle evidence in assault trials. The supporting cast includes Simon Russell Beale and Elizabeth Dulau, portraying figures in Ensler's legal circle. Ings spoke about taking on the role of the accused colleague, noting the necessity for male performers to participate in projects that depict difficult themes. Miller stressed that institutional change requires broader responsibility among men in educating younger generations about consent.
Our aim is it starts conversations. And also to enlist men into saying you also have a role because this is a male problem, and you need to be mentors to young men to explain the nuance of consent and sexuality.
