Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical sees award-winning actress Emma Thompson take on the role of formidable headteacher Miss Trunchbull.
MORE: London Film Festival 2022: 11 films we can't wait to watch
Ahead of the film's world premiere at the London Film Festival on Wednesday evening, the star opened up to HELLO! and other press about the unlikely inspiration behind her version of the classic children's villain and how the role was the "most physically demanding thing" she's done in her career so far.
WATCH: See the trailer for Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
Labelling the character "cruelty personified," she revealed that in order to understand her motivations, she created a backstory for Miss Trunchbull after "examin[ing] the childhood of Dame Edith Sitwell" who she says was abused and neglected as a youngster.
MORE: 7 amazing new movie recommendations to watch this week
MORE: Emma Thompson has a seriously famous sister - who also starred in Harry Potter!
"I decided that Trunchbull was cruel to children because she couldn't bear her own childhood. She couldn't bear any vulnerability in children because when she was vulnerable she'd been crushed," she explained. "So we approached it from a very real psychological point of view."
© Photo: NetflixEmma Thompson has opened up about her take on Miss Trunchbull
Director Matthew Warchus chimed in to say that in addition to the psychological depth, Emma was "able to add a layer of absurdity and exaggeration and silliness" to the role to create a different take on the iconic villain, who was played by Gavin & Stacey star Pam Ferris in its first adaptation for the big screen back in 1996.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe cast of the new Netflix film spoke ahead of the world premiere on Wednesday
Elsewhere, Emma opened up about the conversation she had after the decision was made to digress from the stage musical's long-running tradition of having a man play the headteacher in drag. "I said, 'How much like a man do you want me to play it?' and Matthew said 'No, we're moving away from that but I need her to be absolutely real.'"
© Photo: NetflixRoald Dahl's Matilda the Musical released in cinemas in the UK on 25 November 2022
Emma revealed that it took a team of six people and numerous hours in the makeup chair getting prosthetics fitted to both her face and body to transform her into Miss Trunchbull. "Just that costume and the prosthetics and creating her shape and her athleticism and her strength - it was probably the most physically demanding thing I've ever done," she stated.
MORE: Does Hocus Pocus 2 live up to the original? Here's what viewers are saying about the sequel
Nevertheless, she said she "had a fantastic amount of fun" on set with her young castmates during the school scenes, although added that many did keep calling her Nanny McPhee between scenes.
The film, which is set to be released in cinemas in the UK on 25 November 2022 by Sony Pictures Releasing UK, also stars No Time To Die's Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, Line of Duty actor Stephen Graham as Mr Wormwood, Andrea Riseborough as Mrs Wormwood and newcomer Alisha Weir as Matilda.
Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
