Mara Wilson says a Matilda sequel could happen, with one big catch
The former child star told fans she is open to revisiting Matilda, but is wary of a story centered on the character’s daughter.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Mara Wilson is not shutting the classroom door on another Matilda movie.
The actor, who played the book-loving telekinetic heroine in Danny DeVito’s 1996 film, discussed the idea of a sequel while appearing at Fanboy Expo in Tennessee, according to People. Wilson said fans often ask whether there could be a Matilda 2, and her answer was that it “could be possible.”
That does not mean she is sold on every version of the idea. Wilson said she has reservations about one pitch she hears often: making the next story about Matilda’s daughter.
Wilson told the expo crowd that she believes Matilda’s powers are tied to the harsh circumstances the character endured as a child. In her view, the story works because Matilda survives abuse, teaches herself, builds friendships and finds strength through those bonds.
For that reason, Wilson said she does not think the grown-up Matilda would let her own child grow up in the kind of danger or loneliness that forced Matilda to protect herself.
She also flagged a more playful problem with the sequel premise: finding a partner worthy of the character. Wilson said Matilda is so impressive that she struggles to picture who Matilda would marry and have children with.
A child star forever linked to one role
Wilson was already a familiar face before Matilda. She appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993 and Miracle on 34th Street in 1994 before taking on the Roald Dahl character two years later.
But Matilda, based on Dahl’s 1988 novel, became the role that followed her most closely. Wilson said that after the film, people began calling her by the character’s name, and at first she found it irritating.
She said she would think, “No, I’m Mara,” when people used Matilda’s name for her. Wilson compared the feeling to being called by a sister’s name, specifically a sister who seemed cooler and smarter.
Her view has changed over time. Wilson referenced Carrie Fisher’s comments about feeling that she and Princess Leia had blended together across the years, and said she has come to feel something similar about Matilda.
Wilson said she now sees Matilda as a character she admired, and one whose interests overlap with her own. She said Matilda would care about mental health, books, writing, work and public libraries, all causes and activities Wilson said matter to her.
The actor said the character has taught her “a lot of good lessons” and that she believes she has become like Matilda in her own way.
No new Matilda sequel project was announced in Wilson’s comments. Her remarks, according to People, showed she is open to the possibility, while also protective of what made the original character’s story work.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.