Matilda's Tim Minchin reveals how the film differs from the musical: ‘It's shockingly moving’

Virgin Radio

6 Oct 2022, 06:50

Netflix’s upcoming Matilda the Musical adaptation will get the waterworks going, according to Tim Minchin. 

The Australian star wrote the music and lyrics for the 2010 West End production, and is the composer for its cinematic companion on the streaming service. 

Alisha Weir stars as the curious titular character, while Emma Thompson transforms into the source of many childhood nightmares, Miss Trunchbull. 

Matilda The Musical (the film) is also the second adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl story, with the first, starring Danny DeVito and Mara Wilson, becoming a massive cult favourite back in 1996. 

The movie of the musical will be a departure from its Olivier-winning origin source and its Hollywood predecessor. It will include new songs written by Tim to accompany the beloved story, but according to the composer, it’s not as simple as it sounds to go from the stage to the screen. 

Matilda The Musical’s world premiere opened the 2022 BFI London Film Festival last night (Wednesday 5th October), and speaking to virginradio.co.uk and other press on the red carpet, Tim was quizzed about what audiences can expect from the musical-to-movie adaptation, and why you should have tissues at the ready.

“I think people might not realise how different it is as a genre,” Tim explained. 

“There's wonderful things about theatre, and the main one is your imagination is doing so much of the work. You're not seeing a library, you're seeing some books in your brain goes ‘library’. All the emotion comes from the actors’ ability to project their emotion out into the room. 

“Whereas in a film, not only do you get a library, or in our case, a library bus….but you're in Lashana Lynch's eyes when she sings ‘My House’ and it's devastating. It's so moving. It's kind of shockingly moving.”

Tim admitted he believes audiences will be “more invested” in the new screen version, especially in the relationship between Lashana’s Miss Honey with Alisha’s Matilda. 

Matilda the Musical will follow the same classic story about a young and gifted girl called Matilda who discovers her superpower and “summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny”.

Matilda the Musical will be released in UK cinemas on 25th November, before landing on Netflix on 9th December.