Matilda is a 1996 American fantasy comedy film co-produced and directed by Danny DeVito from a screenplay by Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord, based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl.

The plot centers on the titular child prodigy who develops psychokinetic abilities and uses them to deal with her disreputable family and the tyrannical principal of her school.

When her parents refuse to enroll her into school, Matilda puts peroxide in her father's hair tonic and glues his hat to his head.

Harry sells a car to Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the tyrannical principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School, in exchange for admitting Matilda as a student.

Miss Trunchbull then has the whole school watch her force pupil Bruce Bogtrotter to eat an entire enormous chocolate cake as punishment for stealing a slice.

[5] Following disagreements between Danny DeVito and Bregman-Baer Productions over budgetary concerns, Universal put Matilda into turnaround, with Columbia's sister company TriStar Pictures picking up the project.

[6] Miriam Margolyes confirmed that she auditioned for the role of Agatha Trunchbull during a filmed interview with Jo Brand for the UK television special, Roald Dahl's Revolting Rule Book, which was hosted by Richard E. Grant and aired on September 22, 2007.

[7] Margolyes went on to play Aunt Sponge (another Dahl villainess) as well as the voice of the Glowworm in James and the Giant Peach, also released in 1996.

DeVito and cinematographer Stefan Czapsky made heavy use of wide-angle lenses and exaggerated perspective, in a manner similar to the films of Terry Gilliam.

As she swung her around, the centrifugal force grew too great and tore the top part of Ferris's finger, requiring seven or eight stitches.

It made $8.5 million at the US box office in its opening weekend, ranking in third place behind A Time to Kill and Independence Day.

[1] The film was released on VHS in pan and scan and LaserDisc in widescreen on December 17, 1996, from Columbia TriStar Home Video.

The website's critical consensus reads: "Danny DeVito-directed version of Matilda is odd, charming, and while the movie diverges from Roald Dahl, it nonetheless captures the book's spirit".

[23] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film's oddity, gave it three stars out of four, and wrote: Trunchbull is the kind of villainess children can enjoy because she is too ridiculous to be taken seriously and yet is mean and evil, like the witch in Snow White.