The 66th BFI London Film Festival has announced that this year’s Opening Night Gala will be Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda the Musical’ starring Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee and introducing Alisha Weir as the eponymous Matilda.
It will receive its World Premiere on Wednesday 5 October at the Southbank Centre in the Royal Festival Hall, ahead of Sony Pictures UK and TriStar Pictures releasing the film exclusively in cinemas on 2nd December in the UK and Ireland. Filmmaker and cast attendance is expected and there will also be simultaneous preview screenings of the film taking place at multiple cinemas across the UK.
The film is an inspirational musical tale of an extraordinary girl who discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing up for what’s right, she’s met with miraculous results.
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Directed by Tony Award® winning director Matthew Warchus, who also developed and directed the stage show for both London’s West End and Broadway, the film is produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner for Working Title, Jon Finn and Luke Kelly of The Roald Dahl Story Company. Screenwriter Dennis Kelly adapts the Tony Award® and Olivier Award-winning, Royal Shakespeare Company’s production for the big screen, with original music and lyrics by Tim Minchin.
The 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express takes place from Wednesday 5 October – Sunday 16 October 2022. The BFI LFF Programme Launch will take place on Thursday 1 September 2022.
