Matilda

Roald Dahl's classic children's book is now a movie musical on Netflix. Here are all the key differences between the original novel, the 1996 film, ...

In the musical (stage and movie), Matilda tells a story of an escapologist and acrobat who fell in love to the librarian, Mrs. All other Matilda versions—including Dahl's novel—are set in the UK. However, she has a main role in the musical—Matilda goes to the local library to tell Mrs. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at [Hey Alma](https://www.heyalma.com/), a Jewish culture site. In the stage production on the West End and Broadway, Bertie Cavel, a male actor, played Miss Trunchbull. "There’s a big musical number that we shot and which we worked on for three or four months, and which isn’t in the finished film," Andrea Riseborough, who plays Matilda's mom Mrs. It needed all the thematic and musical traits to be tied with a nice bow." All versions of Matilda—the 1988 novel, the 1996 film directed by Danny DeVito, the West End/Broadway stage film, and the 2022 Netflix movie musical—differ from each other in key ways. The movie musical is based on the stage adaptation of Matilda, which premiered on London's West End in 2011 and Broadway in 2013. There was a new closing number written for the movie musical, "Still Holding My Hand." One cut musical number, "Loud," was actually filmed but cut from the finished version. The film, which runs for just under two hours, has just 13 musical numbers.

Roald Dahl's story expresses the biblical value of children and life (Psalm 127:3, 139:13), and the musical adaptation follows suit. “Every life is unbelievably ...

The story found a musical adaptation in 2010, and that musical’s film adaptation comes to Netflix on Christmas of 2022. For instance, in one song, Matilda claims, “Sometimes, you have to be a little bit naughty.” She also wants to seek revenge on a couple of occasions. Elsewhere, Agatha picks up a girl by her pigtails and throws her out of the school grounds; Agatha then orders another student to “check to see if that child is still alive.” (The tossed kiddo is shaken but otherwise unharmed). This causes the audience to roar in appreciation, and “the great feat was instantly forgotten,” showing that the creation of new life is much more of a miracle to the world than the most magnificent feat imaginable. [Spoiler Warning] Matilda uses her telekinetic abilities to hit Agatha in the head with a metal cup. When Matilda’s father learns that Matilda isn’t a boy at her birth, he laments that there’s “no sign of a winky-dink at all.” We hear a couple of references to a woman’s knickers. “The most common thing in life is life; and yet every single life, every new life, is a miracle.” And while the movie pokes a bit of fun at how parents tend to express just how special their newborn is compared to all the others, the endearing truth is that each life is a miracle. We also hear general insults like “maggot,” “idiot,” “twit,” “creep” and “stupid.” She also lifts chains up in the form of a figure and smashes a group of chokeys. A woman responds, “But Matilda, remember, two wrongs don’t make a right.” The film’s only flaw regarding this is that it doesn’t seem to resolve the lesson, as we don’t fully ever seen Matilda overcoming her desire to do wrong for revenge. Matilda exhibits an element of this as she crafts a story about a man and woman who desire to pull off the world’s most dangerous circus stunt—a feat that’s so impressive that the whole world comes to see it. But the truth is that Matilda is only a troublemaker for real troublemakers.

Netflix's movie adaptation of the West End stage production, Matilda The Musical, just dropped in the US on December 25. And while many fans remember the ...

In Matilda The Musical, the Wormwoods move to Spain to evade members of the Russian Mafia, to who Mr. The message written by Matilda demands that Miss Trunchbull return Magnus' daughter's house and money to her, using Trunchbull's first name and Miss Honey's nickname to add to the believability. To scare Miss Trunchbull away from Crunchem Hall Primary School, Matilda uses her powers to pick up a piece of chalk and write a faux message from Miss Honey's father, Dr. In the 1996 film, Michael is somewhat of a bully to his sister, calling her "Dip Face," while in the original West End production, he is portrayed as being lazy and not caring much about Matilda. And while many fans remember the story of a bright young girl with secret telekinetic powers who enrolls in a school run by a tyrannical headteacher from Danny DeVito's 1996 Matilda film, the character first originated in Ronald Dahl's 1988 book of the same title. Netflix's movie adaptation of the West End stage production, Matilda The Musical, just dropped in the US on December 25.

"Matilda The Musical" is strictly for the book fans. Roald Dahl's stories have always been known for a certain kind of whimsy, where logic doesn't rule, ...

Not because it wasn’t clever, but because it strayed from the events of the book in a way that we liked less and less. As for the story of the escapologist and the acrobat, while it was intriguing, they needed to find a better use for it than as a segue into Ms. It is not shown that she ever gets out of it, but we can hope that once she gets her happy ending at the end of “Matilda the Musical,” she starts her journey toward it. But we would like to note that in the books, when Bruce Bogtrotter finishes the entire chocolate cake, it is a moment of victory for the kids of the entire school. But it is hard to give it that status when it is not preceded by a faithful adaptation. While he is best known for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” we would say that “Matilda” and “The Witches” are some of his better works. The second, which is the glue to the hat trick, happens when she is insulted by her father and called a cheat. She says that the girl would cut her pigtails herself if her mother didn’t do it for her, which is what happens in the book. They really should have left that as it is instead of trying to insert Matilda’s heroism into every aspect of the narrative. “Charlie” was a fairly easy story to adapt from the book to the movie since the journey of the characters just went from strength to strength. On that note, Roald Dahl wasn’t a fan of his stories being adapted for the silver screen. That is what sets apart these stories from the one about the chocolate factory.

In Netflix's screen adaptation 'Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical,' Lashana Lynch portrays the kindly Miss Honey — but she didn't realize the character was a ...

I watched it back to back, and Matilda was one of the books that I reread as a child. You can do that through finding yourself on the way to finding what you want to do in life. Her being in the mental state that she's in for so long was a real challenge. I really enjoyed the storytelling and how adventurous the detail was in the storytelling and the escapism, which is exactly what I was looking for as a child. The casting makes Trunchbull's abuse of Miss Honey more complex and insidious because you are a Black woman. And children are such sponges and have such openness of mind and of belief that to speak to them as children sometimes feels a little counterproductive when they understand so much or have the possibility to do so. I wouldn't say that I read everything under the sun, but I enjoyed diving into the mind of books rather than sitting down and reading. "When there's a character that is beloved, that represents everything to you and can speak to all people, all races, all sexes, all walks of life, then that is the perfect character," she reflects. I sent a voice note of me singing in my house, and then that turned into a Zoom to discuss the role. If you can have a character like that in every film or every play or every book that everyone from every walk of life can take something from." And then I went in and sang in a glass COVID-safe box. But Lynch says she thinks there's also something unique to Miss Honey that makes her a point of connection for people.

Lashana Lynch, who stars as Miss Honey in the now streaming Netflix adaptation of "Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical," recently spoke with Entertainment ...

“It wasn’t something I was aware of until I saw some comments on social media and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a revelation to me,'” she said. “I never knew, but I’m glad.” “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical” is now streaming on Netflix. During the interview, Lynch revealed that she was unaware of Miss Honey’s significance to the LGBTQ community until she saw comments on social media.

Furthermore, the complete cast of the film included Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough and Emma Thompson in the role of the stick and brutal ...

The musical celebrates the power of resilience and determination and the importance of standing up for oneself and one’s beliefs. Moreover, the new school is a place where students are valued and encouraged to learn and grow, and Matilda, who has always been a gifted and intelligent child, thrives in this new environment. As the confrontation between Miss Trunchbull and the students comes to a head, Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey, arrives on the scene. Miss Honey has always been a supportive and nurturing presence in Matilda’s life, and she joins the students in standing up to Miss Trunchbull. They stage a revolt, standing up to Miss Trunchbull and demanding that she leave the school. From what we know after watching the ending of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Matilda and her classmates finally stand up to their tyrannical headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and reclaim their right to kind education.

ROALD DAHL'S Matilda: The Musical has long been a West End hit, having entertained London crowds for the past 11 years.Director Matthew Warchus has now ...

OK, Alisha Weir was 11 or so at the time of filming and Matilda is supposed to be 6/7, but the difference is far more believable than fully-grown adults with plastic surgery playing awkward teenagers. In fact, the entire cast of children are brilliant throughout, and give the film the zip and energy that can be difficult to translate from stage to screen. For those of us less attuned to the latest from the West End, our main memory of Matilda and her family still comes from the Danny DeVito-directed film from 1996, which transported the characters from middle England to middle America.

Despite 'do not attempt' warnings, many are trying the complex Matilda the Musical routine at home.

If you’re feeling your age reading this, maybe follow the warning on the official video and do not attempt. That rebellious spirit is captured in the boisterous routine which has since been taken in to the heart of TikTok's army of dance enthusiasts. Several [slowed-down videos](https://www.tiktok.com/@sonypictures.uk/video/7175201638934777094?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=matilda%20dance&t=1671202353277), or [choreography tutorials](https://www.tiktok.com/@britini_dangelo/video/7170812064913460522?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=matilda%20dance%20tutorial&t=1671209604879) have since cropped up, but as many users have pointed out in the comments, just because the moves have been slowed down doesn't mean they're necessarily easy. Now that same choreography is being replicated all over the app with impressive precision. [choreographed](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/dad-dancing) by Ellen Kane, doesn't even feature the film's main character, but Hortensia (played by 14-year-old Meesha Garbett), or Red Beret Girl as the internet has now dubbed her, gliding and moving through a school corridor, as children sing: "We can S-P-L how we like! [Christmas](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gallery/gifts-for-men-christmas) might be over, but if there's one thing you learned from your 22-year-old cousin at the dinner table it's that #content never truly sleeps. To honor your privacy preferences, this content can only be viewed on the site it [Variety](https://variety.com/2022/artisans/features/maltilda-the-musical-red-hat-girl-dance-tiktok-1235453115/) that the film's director Matthew Warchus wanted the sequence to feel explosive – “like a flood, like dams bursting". [originates](https://www.tiktok.com/@happykelli/video/7171857944353557803) from. TikTok content / If enough of us are wrong, wrong is right! [originates](https://www.tiktok.com/@workingtitlefilms/video/7169579229259042054) from.

Bringing vibrant energy to the translation from book to musical to screen, "Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical" lands on Netflix as a rewarding example of the ...

Fortunately, the girl wins over friends with her defiant attitude and finds an adult ally in Miss Honey (Lynch, the mousy antithesis of her Dahl’s story about a little girl with absentee parents and unusual powers, sent to a boarding school run by the abusive, kid-hating Miss Trunchbull (Thompson, under a version of super-villain makeup), is certainly dark, even by the author’s standards. Of course, it helps that the young star, Alisha Weir, is terrific, aided by wonderful turns from Emma Thompson and Lashana Lynch, extending what have already been good years for both. To call “Matilda” “miraculous” would be taking things too far, but the movie joins a long tradition of kid-centric musicals (invariably turned into fodder for school plays), from “Oliver!” to “Annie,” in a way that nicely bridges the gap between the 1996 movie and this music-infused take. “This isn’t a school. [“Cruella.”](https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/27/entertainment/cruella-review/index.html) In a year when she’s already delivered a standout performance in the low-key Hulu movie [ “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,”](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/17/entertainment/good-luck-to-you-leo-grande-review/index.html) her scene-stealing exploits offer a reminder of just how delicious she can be when cutting loose in this fashion.

This musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel is a jolt of sour candy guaranteed to make you grin.

The children disappear, a herd of white horses gallop into frame, and for one moment, our villain is no longer the tyke tyrant, but a woman who wishes she could let her hair down and smile. When Weir, just 11 when she filmed the movie, narrows her blue eyes and sings, “Sometimes, you have to be a little bit naughty,” you believe she’s capable of conquering anyone who blocks her path. Bitterness never tasted so sweet as it does in “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical,” a jolt of sour candy guaranteed to make you grin.

Matilda the Musical is streaming on Netflix now - but does Matilda have powers in this adaptation of Roald Dahl's story?

She tips a water jug, causing a newt to land on the villainous headmistress, which crawls into her clothes. In the musical, Matilda slowly realizes the extent of her magical abilities, but they first erupt when she’s confronted by Miss Trunchbull during her Full Metal Jacket P.E. To short-change that is really annoying.”

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical has debuted with a 91% on the Tomatometer and an audience score of 100%.

A brand new take on the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical. [Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical](https://movieweb.com/movie/matilda-the-musical/). But the talent was so good I got goosebumps so many times." "The young actors are uniformly excellent, most notably Alisha Weir as Matilda, who has a wonderfully intelligent face and a pinging singing voice." Of course, the audience reviews are just as glowing. The movie has landed with a perfect audience score of 100% at [Rotten Tomatoes](https://movieweb.com/tag/rotten-tomatoes), with its critical score not too far behind at 91% fresh.

A girl runs toward a woman with open arms. Netflix's “Matilda the Musical” ends with a new song between Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch) and Matilda (Alisha Weir).

The vibrant montage was initially intended to have students playing on a giant water slide that led down to an oversize swimming pool, “but that was going to need a lot of CGI,” said Warchus. The creative team opted to include a new song while cutting other stage show favorites, like the Wormwoods’ “Loud” and “Telly,” which were shot for the movie but left out. “The crew had half an hour to spare after setting up and before all the kids arrived, so we got to ride all the rides. [“Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical”](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-12-08/matilda-review-roald-dahl-musical-netflix-emma-thompson) are, in a way, both a new ending and a new beginning. “We did try and end the film in different ways, but what this moment needed was a song, a joyful release for this little family created by these two people.” “One day I opened my eyes and looked up to find that the sky had turned blindingly blue,” they sing in unison, Miss Honey with happy tears forming in her eyes.