When Andrea Riseborough joins the cast of your film, you know people will have to pay attention, which is exactly why I’m now a lot more interested in Netflix‘s adaptation of “Matilda,” which has cast Riseborough and Stephen Graham as the parents of the titular character.
The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop on Andrea Riseborough joining the cast of ‘Matilda’ as Mrs. Wormwood, taking over where Rhea Perlman left off in the 1996 film adaptation of the 1988 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. Additionally, Indian comedian Sindhu Vee has been cast as the librarian, Mrs. Phelps, joining Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, and newcomer Alisha Weir — who are playing the cruel headmistress Miss Trunchbull, the kindly Miss Honey, and the titular Matilda Wormwood, respectively. Matthew Warchus, who directed the original West End production, will return to direct the Netflix film.
Dahl’s book follows the precocious and very intelligent Matilda, who is neglected and mistreated at home. For better or worse, she discovers that she has the magical ability of telekinesis upon entering a new school, which brings her new friends and also enemies.
READ MORE: Netflix Will Adapt ‘Matilda’ Musical, Wants Ralph Fiennes For Miss Trunchbull
The book was most famously adapted into the 1996 film directed by Danny DeVito and starring Mara Wilson in the titular role, but the Netflix adaptation is said to be primarily based on the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical that Warchus directed starting in 2011. In 2018, Netflix announced it was developing new adaptations of several beloved Roald Dahl’s books, including animated adaptations of “The BFG,” and “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.” It is unclear whether this musical is part of that partnership since it doesn’t seem to be animated.