Cynthia Erivo's first film since the Wicked movies is in theaters, just not in America yet. Prima Facie, the screen adaptation of Suzie Miller's one-woman play, opened in UK and Irish cinemas Friday, Nov. 13, and City A.M. gave it four stars, calling it a harrowing tear-jerker.
Sony Pictures is releasing the film in the UK. A US release date has not been announced.
Erivo on both sides of the courtroom
Erivo plays Tessa, a brilliant London defense barrister who represents men accused of sexual offenses. When she is assaulted by a colleague, she faces the same tactics she once used in court and must fight to be believed.
Susanna White directs from Miller's own screenplay. The cast includes Daniel Ings, Simon Russell Beale, Noma Dumezweni, Elizabeth Dulau and Toheeb Jimoh. Erivo also produced the film.
Critics have split on the adaptation but not on its star. Time Out gave it three stars, praising Erivo while saying the legal drama can't match her talents. City A.M. said the film, like the West End show, finds a shocking human story inside a legal system that seems to have forgotten victims.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where Erivo received a standing ovation. On stage, Jodie Comer won Olivier and Tony awards for the role in London and on Broadway.
Cup of Soul first covered the project when Erivo took the stand in the first Prima Facie trailer. She is also set to play Afeni Shakur in the Snoop Dogg-produced biopic.
