It's been 25 years since Matilda Wormwood blessed us with her telekinesis prowess she used to deal with her bullies in Matilda. While it may have not been a massive box office hit, the 1996 movie adaptation of the novel of the same name will always hold a soft spot in our hearts.
The film became so successful overtime that the movie made its way to the theatre, as a stage musical, produced by the exquisite Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly, later in the 2010s. And now, fans are going to have a Netflix remake of the classic comedy to enjoy soon, as Sony confirmed in 2020. Who will be cast? When will it be released? What happened to the original cast? Find out all the answers you need here!
9 The Cast Will Feature Lashana Lynch & Alisha Weir
As Deadline exclusively reported back in 2020, there are a couple of characters that have been confirmed, and it's a star-studded cast. Lashana Lynch, who's set to make her big break in James Bond's No Time to Die in October 2021, is taking the role of Miss Honey, Matilda's well-beloved teacher. Alisha Weir, an up-and-coming young actress from Ireland, is set to portray the titular hero.
8 Emma Thompson Is Set To Play The Iconic Villain
Earlier in January, Netflix announced that Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson will be portraying the villainous teacher Miss Trunchbull. The British actress is one of the most well-awarded actresses in history, with two Oscars, two Golden Globe, and one Emmy in her trophy cabinet.
However, not everyone was happy with the decision. The Grand Budapest Hotel star Ralph Fiennes was set to star, but the board decided to switch to a female character, and many fans were disappointed.
7 It Will Be A 'Musical' Remake
What's interesting about this upcoming movie is that it will be a "musical" remake. It will bring a fresh look into the story from a musical perspective, like what Tim Minchin penned in Matilda The Musical. Every line and verse intertwined beautifully, helping the show to earn a fantastic record of 10 nominations at the 2012 Olivier Awards.
"Working on Matilda has been one of the greatest thrills of my life," said the musical genius.
6 Newcomer Alisha Weir Started Her Career In 2018
So, who is Alisha Weir, and how would she live up to the standard of Matilda? According to her talent agency page, the young Irish actress started her on-screen career back in 2018, when she had a brief cameo in the horror flick Don't Leave Home. She's been featured on so many stages and theatres, whether as an actress, dancer, or junior singer, including as one of the Munchkins in Tony Finnegan's Wizard of Oz in 2018. The clip above shows Weir performing True Colors with the Holy Family Junior Deaf Choir on Ireland's The Late Late Show in 2017.
5 Rumors Of 'Matilda 2' Began Circulating In 2019
Danny DeVito, the star and the producer of the original Matilda has always been keen on developing the franchise further. In fact, in 2019, the Taxi actor revealed his intention to expand the storyline instead of making a remake.
"I always wanted to do Matilda 2, but when the kid was still a kid," DeVito said in the interview with ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis. "But that was like 20 years ago, 25 years ago. Maybe Matilda has a kid and we can do something that, I don't know."
4 Filming Was Resumed In April
The bad news is, as of this writing, there is no confirmed release date of the movie, yet. The whole production team had been struggling with COVID-19 restrictions since August 2020. The good news is, the filming process has restarted in April this year, and here's hoping for some more details dropping really, really soon.
3 Matthew Warchus Will Return To The Director Seat
As a musical remake, it only makes sense that Matthew Warchus directs the Netflix adaptation. Back in the 2010s, he served as the artistic director for the musical narrative. He even scored a massive success by shaping the history after tying with Hamilton as the most Olivier awards won by a musical.
2 The Original Movie Was A Box Office Catastrophe
As mentioned above, the original Matilda movie was a terrible commercial flop. From a $36 million budget, Sony Pictures and TriStar only generated $33.5 million in the box office. In addition to DeVito and Wilson, Paul Reubens, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, and Pam Ferris also joined the cast.
1 There's No Official Trailer ... Yet
Unfortunately, as of this writing, there is also no official trailer to be seen of Netflix's Matilda, yet. Neither Sony Pictures nor Netflix released any principal photographs or key arts of the movie, so here's hoping for more info in the upcoming weeks or months. In the meantime, here is the trailer of the original Matilda to remind you of what a wild ride it was!