Even though Matilda was based on the great Roald Dahl’s novel of the same name, it was difficult to predict the how it would be received. The movie had a budget of $36 million but it only earned $33 million in the US. Fortunately, it nearly doubled its budget through its worldwide release and revenues from home video and television.
7. The role of the lovable teacher Miss Honey was offered to Mariska Hargitay (Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU) but she turned it down.
8. Danny DeVito not only played the role of Matilda’s dad. He was also the director and narrator for the film.
9. The scene in which the “ghost of Magnus” wrote on the chalkboard was actually very tricky to film and required some low-tech ingenuity involving magnets.
Computer generated graphics weren’t much of an option at the time. To create the effect of a ghost writing on the chalkboard, they first wrote the letters backwards on the back of the chalkboard. They then placed a magnet to the chalk on the front. Then finally, someone had someone stand behind the chalkboard and write out the message backwards using a magnetic device.
10. The Liccy doll is named after Roald Dahl’s wife, Felicity “Liccy” d’aBreu Croslan.
Liccy doll… say it out loud. “Liccy Dahl.” Oh so clever!
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