Prima Facie is a 2026 legal drama film directed by Susanna White and adapted by Suzie Miller from her 2019 stage play. An international co-production between the United Kingdom and Australia, it stars Cynthia Erivo, who also serves as an executive producer, with Daniel Ings, Simon Russell Beale, Elizabeth Dulau, and Noma Dumezweni appearing in supporting roles.
Prima Facie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2026, and will be released in the United Kingdom on 13 November, and in Australia on 14 January 2027. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Synopsis
Tessa Ensler has risen from a working-class background to be a confident and successful defence barrister. However, her confidence is shaken one night by the actions of a colleague.
Cast Cynthia Erivo as Tessa Ensler Daniel Ings as Julian Brooks Toheeb Jimoh as Johnny Elizabeth Dulau as Alice Sommers Harry Treadaway as Adam Khalid Abdalla Elliot Levey as Thomas Buckley Noma Dumezweni as Juneon KC Simon Russell Beale as Hugh Dalt Sarah Junillon as Phoebe
Production Greer Simpkin and David Jowsey are producers on the film for Bunya Productions, with Kevin Loader for Embankment Films. Suzie Miller, Susanna White, and Solome Williams are executive producers alongside Cynthia Erivo. The film is based on the Miller one-woman legal drama play of the same name which starred Jodie Comer.
Alongside Erivo, the cast includes Daniel Ings, Simon Russell Beale, Elizabeth Dulau, Noma Dumezweni, Toheeb Jimoh, Harry Treadaway, Sarah Junillon, and Elliot Levey. Principal photography took place in London in the autumn of 2025. Filming locations included The Old Bailey, Lincoln's Inn, and The Story Works.
Release In November 2025, a Screen Daily article profiling producer Free Range Films revealed that Sony Pictures had pre-emptively acquired distribution rights to Prima Facie in several territories, notably the United Kingdom and Australia.
Prima Facie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2026. It is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 13 November, and in Australia on 14 January 2027.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 21% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
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