In the new trailer for Matilda the Musical, based on the book by Roald Dahl, it’s time to get up on your feet and start singing. The Tony-winning stage play that transforms the beloved Roald Dahl novel into a rocking musical is now available as a video on Netflix, offering a fresh take on the beloved story. This in-depth analysis of the film reveals the huge, mystical, and musical passages that set the stage for Matilda’s (Alisha Weir) rebellion against the despotic headmistress Ms Trunchbull (Emma Thompson). The video begins on an optimistic note, highlighting Matilda’s vivid imagination and her fondness for using books to transport her to another world.
It would appear that she has found a safe haven away from her nasty parents who limit her creativity and enthusiasm for reading thanks to her supportive teacher Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch) at Crunchem Hall recognised her ability. The school is shown to be the harsh jail it is once the music escalates to that point. Thompson’s Trunchbull is wonderfully spooky and nasty; in one scene, she hurls a youngster over the fence by the pigtails. But when Matilda decides to disobey her, it really gets under her skin.
She has been keeping her telekinetic powers a secret her whole life, and now she’s ready to utilise them to lead an uprising against the evil Trunchbull in the film’s grand finale musical piece. Though Danny DeVito’s much-loved 1996 film Matilda had a similar plot, with a few major deviations, this trailer puts more emphasis on the film’s musical elements. The meticulously staged moments in the corridors of the academy and in the cafeteria during the iconic cake scene give the adaption an air of seriousness, as do the images of the youngsters standing rigid and leering as they sing about Crunchem’s atrocities on the playground. A musical adaptation of Matilda has opened the London Film Festival to rave reviews and a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Director Matthew Warchus, who won a Tony for directing God of Carnage and an Olivier for directing the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version of Matilda, oversaw the production that would launch the musical’s record-breaking run on both the West End and Broadway. His cast included not only Weir, Thompson, and Lynch but also Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Sindhu Vee. In addition to reuniting with the show’s original writer, Dennis Kelly, Warchus also worked with Tim Minchin on the film adaptation of the musical. The film was produced by Jon Finn and Luke Kelly of The Roald Dahl Story Company and Working Title’s Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan.
After a limited run in cinemas beginning on December 9, Matilda the Musical will bring the musical uprising to Netflix on December 25.