Matilda the Musical by Roald Dahl is presently available on Netflix. Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, and Emma Thompson play pivotal parts in the musical. While Weir plays the eponymous Matilda Wormwood, Thompson plays the major antagonist, Miss Agatha Trunchbull. Lynch, on the other hand, portrays Miss Jennifer Honey.
Dennis Kelly wrote the script for the film, which was directed by Matthew Warchus. The new film is a new take on the Tony and Olivier Award-winning Broadway musical (2011) based on Dahl’s 1988 book Matilda, according to the synopsis:
“Matilda, a remarkable child with a bright intellect and a creative imagination, dares to stand up to her tyrannical parents and head teacher in order to rewrite her tale with miraculous outcomes.”
The film was released theatrically on Friday, December 9, 2022, prior to its OTT release.
Meet Matilda in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Alisha Weir.
Matilda Wormwood, Alisha Weir’s role in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, has been characterized as an incredibly intelligent girl who takes bold judgments without hesitation. Critics have praised her performance, but Weir admits that working alongside Emma Thompson was “a little unnerving,” but not for the reason you may assume. She said to Ashley and Company:
“It was a little frightening when I first saw her with all her prosthetics. I was afraid, but so were the other youngsters. She offered her arms for all the youngsters to rush into while we were shooting. And we all walked over to embrace her.”
Alisha Weir stated that she was originally worried since Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical was her debut film and the cast included several senior performers. They eventually became mentors for her and taught her the skills of the trade. Alisha Weir also confessed that she was unaware that the sets would be swarmed with people at all times due to her lack of awareness of the real shooting procedure. She mentioned:
“I felt a little nervous since I didn’t know whether they were all watching me. But, after observing everyone else, I concluded that you simply need to be relied on. They’re only carrying out their duties.”
The actress, who was born on September 26, 2009, was 11/12 years old when the filming began. Her role required a southern English accent, which Weir excelled at. Furthermore, Warchus, the film’s director, said that hundreds of children auditioned for the role, but Weir stood out due to her “excellent” listening abilities. He explained to Express.co.uk:
“That’s incredibly crucial because if you listen closely, you can accept direction and also listen to and react to the people you’re performing a scene with.”
He went on to say that the adolescent is a “very quick, intuitive, and instinctual performer,” and that “most of her scenes in the film” were shot in a few takes. Alisha Weir told Express about the moment she informed her family she had received the critical portion. She stated the following:
“It was my mother’s birthday, so everyone was astonished. They couldn’t believe it, were overjoyed for me, and couldn’t wait for me to start.”
Alisha Weir was previously seen in Michael Tully’s Don’t Leave Home. In 2018, the horror thriller was launched. Alisha Weir also played Laura in five Darklands episodes (2019). She also provided the voice of Primrose in Two by Two: Overboard! MVW Agency is in charge of Weir. Weir’s siblings are similarly passionate in the performing arts. According to their mother Jane, who talked to the Irish Examiner last month, her oldest sister Katie Jane graduated from college musical theater in November 2022, while her middle sister Emma is studying cinema, music, and theatre. Alisha Weir will next be seen in Wicked Little Letters, with Oscar candidate Jessie Buckley and Oscar winner Olivia Colman.