Cynthia Erivo is set to star in a big-screen adaptation of award-winning one-woman play Prima Facie.
According to Variety, the Oscar-nominated star of Harriet will take on the lead role that Jodie Comer played in the West End before recently transferring to Broadway. The show first opened in Australia in 2020.
The play centres on barrister Tessa, who discovers she is part of a corrupt legal system when she is the victim of sexual assault. The film adaptation will be directed by Susanna White, whose credits include Jessica Chastain drama Woman Walks Ahead and episodes of Andor. Suzie Miller will expand upon her original stage script.
“Tessa’s experience sheds such vulnerable light on the complex conversations around consent and sexual abuse and the law that surrounds it, which is all too relatable for so many and timely for all,” Erivo said to Variety.
Comer’s lauded performance won her the best actress Olivier award and recently nabbed her a Tony nomination. The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar praised the Killing Eve actor for her ability to “infuse breath-taking emotional drama in every last word”.
“Jodie Comer’s powerhouse exploration of that struggle on Broadway is nothing short of beautiful and heart-wrenching,” Erivo said.
Erivo won the 2016 Tony award for best actress in a musical for her performance in The Color Purple, before embarking on a film career including roles in Widows, Bad Times at the El Royale, Chaos Walking and Pinocchio.
She received a best actress Oscar nomination for her role as Harriet Tubman in Harriet. Next year she will be seen alongside Ariana Grande in a film adaptation of musical Wicked.