Exhibit 5.1

May 10, 2022

Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.

222 Jacobs Street, Suite 200

Cambridge, MA 02141

Re: Securities Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-3

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”) on May 10, 2022 with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration by Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) of the offer and resale, from time to time, by the selling stockholders listed in the Registration Statement under “Selling Stockholders,” of up to 76,781,567 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share.

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinion set forth below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinion set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

The opinion set forth below is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Goodwin Procter LLP

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP