Cynthia Erivo receives standing ovation for ‘Prima Facie’ at Toronto Film Festival

The film marks Erivo’s first movie since “Wicked” and puts the Oscar-nominated star at the center of another demanding role.

Cynthia Erivo received a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival after the world premiere of ‘Prima Facie,’ her first film since the ‘Wicked’ movies.

The film premiered Sunday at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, where Erivo joined director Susanna White, playwright and screenwriter Suzie Miller and members of the cast for the film’s first public screening there.

Variety reported that the audience rose for Erivo and the creative team after the screening. The film adapts Miller’s acclaimed one-woman play, which previously earned Jodie Comer both Olivier and Tony awards for playing the lead role onstage.

Erivo stars as Tessa, a successful London defense barrister who has built her career representing men accused of sexual assault. Her confidence in the legal system is shaken after she is sexually assaulted by a colleague and later has to navigate that same system from the position of an accuser.

The screen adaptation expands the story beyond the play’s original one-woman format. Daniel Ings, Elizabeth Dulau and Simon Russell Beale are among the supporting cast.

The 106-minute film examines consent, sexual violence and the pressures survivors face when seeking justice through the legal system. Miller adapted her own play for the screen, while White directed the project.

The role follows an intense stretch of stage and screen work for Erivo. Earlier this year, she played 23 characters in the West End production of ‘Dracula,’ after spending years filming and promoting the two ‘Wicked’ movies.

‘Prima Facie’ arrived at TIFF without a U.S. distributor. Sony Pictures holds distribution rights for the United Kingdom and other international territories, leaving the film still seeking a U.S. distribution deal.

The Prima Facie premiere adds another dramatic lead role to Erivo’s post-‘Wicked’ slate, with the film now moving forward from its Toronto debut as it seeks wider distribution.