What Do We Know About the MATILDA Film Adaptation?
Matilda tells of a super-powered girl who uses her new skills to help those around her, all the while trying to deal with the atrocious Miss Trunchbull. Ahead of the premiere, BroadwayWorld put together a guide to "Matilda" onscreen - find out everything we know about the film, the cast, the soundtrack, and everything else below! The Tony Award-winning Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams of a better life. Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Rolling Stone called the show "hands down the best musical of the season." Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, Matilda won 47 international awards. The musical opened on Broadway in 2013 and played 1,555 performances before closing on January 1, 2017. Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon, and Milly Shapiro split the title role at the very beginning of the Broadway production. Other original cast members included Bertie Carvel, Lauren Ward, Lesli Margherita, Taylor Trensch, and Gabriel Ebert. The cast of "Matilda" includes Alisha Weir as Matilda, Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough as Matilda's parents Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, and Sindhu Vee as librarian Mrs. Phelps. Alisha Weir is an eleven-year-old Irish actress known for her role as Laura on "Darklands." The legendary Emma Thompson joins the film in the re-envisioned role, which was originally played by a male actor in drag. She is best known for roles in "Love, Actually," the "Harry Potter" films, "Saving Mr. Banks," "Much Ado About Nothing," and "Cruella." She also played Mrs. Lovett in a concert performance of "Sweeney Todd." Lashana Lynch is best known for playing Rosaline Capulet in the ABC period drama series "Still Star-Crossed" and fighter pilot Maria Rambeau in "Captain Marvel." Stephen Graham starred in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films and has several Broadway acting credits to his name; Andrea Riseborough appeared in "Birdman" and "Oblivion." Finally, Sindhu Vee is a comedian known best for her appearances on "Have I Got News For You" and "Would I Lie To You?" If you live in the U.S., the film will be available on Netflix in December of 2022. Matilda is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. The film adaptation is helmed by Matthew Warchus, who directed the original stage production. Ellen Kane, who worked with choreographer Peter Darling on the stage production, will contribute choreography. Yes! A non-musical adaptation of Dahl's novel was released in 1996. Mara Wilson led a cast that also included Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davitz, Pam Ferris, and Paul Reubens. The film was very well-received, garnering a 90% approval rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes. In 2019, director/star Danny DeVito said that he's always wanted to develop a sequel to "Matilda." No official plans have yet been announced for that project. As of right now, the soundtrack for "Matilda" has not yet been released. BroadwayWorld will be sure to update you when we know more about the where and when on that! In the meantime, check out the original Broadway cast recording: