Netflix’s Matilda The Musical trailer received mixed reviews after fans noticed Emma Thompson wearing a big costume as the villainous Miss Trunchbull.
Roald Dahl’s worldwide hit Matilda has been remade for the small screen, on Broadway, and now it’s hitting the big screen for the second time after Danny DeVito’s 1996 feature.
Confirmed to be released in December 2022, the trailer dropped last week, starring Emma Thompson as bitter director Agatha Trunchbull and Alisha Weir as titular Matilda Wormwood.
Although a favorite, fans called the production “fatphobic” for hiring Thompson, rather than a bigger actress.
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Emma Thompson’s chunky costume is tearing up Twitter
As a family film expert, casting Thompson as Miss Trunchbull was a no-brainer – she looked fabulous as the magical Nanny McPhee in 2005.
However, her latest costume was not a hit with many fans. Dressed in a khaki green dress and brown boots, Miss Trunchbull looks more like an army officer than a headmistress, though that suits her demanding rules just fine.
It’s not the dress that’s the problem, it’s what she’s wearing underneath. It’s obvious that the 63-year-old has a big suit and extra padding for her breasts since she’s always kept a slim figure.
With demand for representation in entertainment a higher priority than ever, fans criticized Thompson and the film for their insensitivity to not hiring an actress with a more appropriate body type.
One Twitter user wrote, “I can’t believe anyone would put a thin person in this costume for Matilda the Musical. The original was already pretty big phobic, but now they put Emma Thompson in a big costume.
Meanwhile, a longtime fan called her “pretty hypocritical” for donning the costume after preaching about body positivity on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Peckham’s Finest star Queen Mojo and comedian Freddy Quinne debated the topic on Good Morning Britain, with Mojo saying being overweight can be a “difficult experience” that a big suit can’t replicate.
Quinne, however, thought casting a talented actress was a priority, rather than hiring based on size. He also pointed out that he was a fictional character, comparing him to Daniel Radcliff playing a wizard.
Emma Thompson wears a big suit in the latest Matilda movie for her role as Mrs. Trunchbull. But some found the characterization to be “dehumanizing and demeaning”. So is it offensive to wear thick suits? Comedian @FreddyQuinne and debate star Peckham’s Finest @_queenmojo pic.twitter.com/6xbSgAL7UP
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 22, 2022
A Twitter user defended the costume, pointing out that no one criticized Chris Hemsworth for his big costume as Thor in Avengers: End Game.
I’ve seen tweets about Emma Thompson wearing a big suit for Matilda, but I don’t remember seeing one when Chris Hemsworth was wearing a big suit for Thor.
— (((Nicole Aimée Schreiber))) (@nicoleaimee) June 21, 2022
It wouldn’t be the first time she’s worn prosthetics; the Harry Potter star also wore a big suit in Love Actually as betrayed wife Karen.
Miss Trunchbull was played by a man in theaters
While there’s some debate over how tall Trunchbull is, it turns out the role is usually played by someone of the opposite sex. Robert Carvel, better known as Bertie Carvel, won a Laurence Olivier Award as the villainous manager of London’s West End and Broadway.
screenshot, YouTube – Matilda The Musical BroadwayRoald Dahl’s original character is described as a muscular former female Olympic hammer thrower with a “bull neck, big shoulders, thick arms and powerful legs”, so fans have argued that the new remake is Thompson in a muscular costume to give him the “tremendous” presence.
Emma Thompson’s oily Matilda jumpsuit transformation has sparked serious debate and appeared first on Juicee News.
