Emma Thompson joins 'Matilda' musical film in latest casting update

11 year old Dubliner Alisha Weir has been cast as the title role.

UPDATE: Matilda will be released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on 2 Dec. 2022. The Matilda film will also be available to stream worldwide on Netflix. 

Last year, it was announced that a new film adaptation of Matilda was in the works. Further casting has been confirmed today, with casting for Matilda, Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey announced.

In a tweet from Daily Mail entertainment reporter Baz Bamigboye, 11 year old Alisha Weir will play the title role. Born in Ireland, her theatre credits so far include regional productions of Annie, The Wizard of Oz and Oliver, as well as appearing in Dublin performances of Once.

Emma Thompson will play Miss Trunchbull, a role which was previously assumed to be portrayed by Ralph Fiennes. Miss Trunchbull is a role typically played by males, but Matthew Warchus has confirmed the role is reconceived for the upcoming adaptation, and "now can be played by a woman."

An Academy Award-winning actress, Thompson's delivered acclaimed performances in Howards End, Sense and Sensibility and Saving Mr. Banks. More recently, audiences have heard her sing in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast as Mrs. Potts and in concert productions of Sweeney Todd at the London Coliseum.

Lashana Lynch will play Miss Honey in Matilda, whose film credits include Captain Marvel and the upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die. Further casting includes Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough as Mr and Mrs Wormwood, with Sindhu Vee as Mrs Phelps.

The cast of Matilda will include 200 children who make up the classmates at Crunchem Hall. Filming is due to take place from April 2021.

After a world premiere in Stratford-upon-Avon, Matilda made its West End premiere at the Cambridge Theatre in 2011. Winning seven Olivier Awards, the production is currently in its tenth year, and is currently projecting a return date from 4 May.

Matilda the Musical tickets are on sale now.

^{Photo credit: Matilda the Musical (Photo by Manuel Harlan)}