“Once upon a time there was a little girl who was trapped. This is the story of her great escape,” we’re told in a new trailer for “Matilda the Musical.” The adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel of the same name sees Alisha Weir (“Darklands”) taking on the titular role — and taking on Miss Trunchbull. Oscar winner Emma Thompson plays the abusive headmistress of Matilda’s school. “I like troublemakers,” she says. “They make such a lovely sound when they snap.”
Tired of being bullied at home and by Ms. Trunchbull at school, Matilda launches a revolt against the headmistress, which is aided by her telekinesis. The voracious reader also finds comfort in the pages of books and in the classroom of Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch, “The Woman King”), her kind and nurturing teacher.
Mara Wilson led a 1996 film based on “Matilda.”
The stage version of “Matilda the Musical” has won Tony and Olivier awards. This screen adaptation opens in theaters December 9 and launches on Netflix December 25.
