Ralph Fiennes ‘to star as’ Miss Trunchbull in Netflix’s Matilda

Actor has made a career out of playing villains

Ralph Fiennes will star as Miss Trunchbull in Netflix’s new adaptation of Matilda, according to reports.

The actor, who is well known for playing villains, is “attached to star” as the evil headmistress in the new film, Deadline understands.

Fiennes played Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films, and in 2016 revealed he made a little boy burst into tears when dressed as the Dark Lord. He also played criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty in the 2018 film Holmes & Watson.

Netflix's Matilda movie is based on the popular musical stage play version of Roald Dahl’s story about a young bookworm who lives with horrible parents.

Matilda The Musical – in which Trunchbull was also played by a man – has been running in London since 2011. The show’s original director Matthew Warchus is on board for the adaptation and Dennis Kelly is writing the screenplay.

Jodie Comer, meanwhile, has been tipped to take on the role of Miss Honey.

In the 1996 film, Pam Ferris played Trunchbull, alongside Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman as the parents of Matilda (Mara Wilson).