Anyone who grew up watching ‘Matilda‘ remembers the sweet bond between the bullied little girl and Miss Honey, so fans have always wondered what the character would be up to as an adult. While chatting about the sequel rumors at a fan expo recently, Mara Wilson, who played the title character, admitted that people ask her about it all the time.
Much to our excitement, the actress thinks it could happen. The only catch? Wilson has some major hesitations about the plot ideas she keeps seeing fans pitch online. Here’s what she said about it.
Mara Wilson Shares Her Reservations About ‘Matilda 2’
Discussing rumors about a potential second installment at a recent Fanboy Expo panel in Tennessee, the 38-year-old actress said it is possible before pointing out one major problem. It was regarding the theories that featured Matilda having a daughter.
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For her, the primary issue lies in the origins of Matilda’s telekinetic powers. She explained that the character never sees those abilities as something cool and superhero-like. She views them as a defense mechanism created by emotional trauma and a poor upbringing by her cold parents.
In the original story, Matilda finds comfort under a loving teacher and creates her own family. She feels empowered through education and eventually builds friendships with people who are genuinely kind. This contrasts with her insensitive mother and father.
“And so I don’t think Matilda would raise her daughter to be in a position where she developed those powers to protect herself,” she said. Also, Wilson believed there’s one tricky issue for screenwriters if the character falls in love.
“Who would Matilda marry? Who’s good enough for Matilda?” she said. “Matilda’s such an awesome character that I can’t imagine who she would marry and have kids with, you know?”
Wilson Has Made Peace With Her Legendary Character
Meanwhile, ‘Matilda’ boosted Wilson’s popularity beyond what she had gained from her previous two successful projects. These included ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ (1993) and the 1994 version of ‘Miracle on 34th Street.’
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While the fame was sweet, Wilson got annoyed when fans constantly confused her with Matilda. “I was like, ‘No, I’m Mara.’ It felt almost a little bit like being called by your sister’s name—your much cooler, smarter sister’s name,” she said.
Fortunately, Wilson eventually accepted the burden and embraced her association with the character, thanks to an inspiring quote from the late ‘Star Wars‘ legend Carrie Fisher. “She [Fisher] said, ‘I feel like me and Princess Leia have kind of merged over the years.’ And I sort of feel like that too,’” Wilson said.
Additionally, the actress realized that her actual interests, such as mental health activism, working for public libraries, and being a writer, perfectly match the values of the character she portrayed when she was a little girl.
Apart from the discussion of the creative issues, this event gave her a chance to recall the sweet memories from the filming of the 1996 movie. The actress praised the empathy and understanding of her director and co-star, Danny DeVito.
He became an important supporter of Wilson’s family after her mother, Suzie Wilson, lost her battle with breast cancer right before the movie’s premiere. Wilson has distanced herself from Hollywood productions over the years.
Her most recent comeback was in a nostalgic episode on the 2016 comedy show ‘Broad City.’ We can’t say if there will be a sequel to ‘Matilda.’ But Mara Wilson’s protective attitude toward the character proves how much she cares.
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