Mara Wilson has not closed the door on a follow-up to “Matilda,” though she is skeptical of the storyline fans request most often. Speaking at Fanboy Expo Knoxville earlier this month, the actress who played the telekinetic heroine in 1996 said a sequel remains within reach, even as she picks apart the idea of centering it on Matilda’s own child. “People always ask me about doing a Matilda 2,” Wilson, now 38, told the crowd. “And that could be possible.”
Her hesitation centers on where Matilda’s powers originate. Fans have long pitched a story following Matilda’s daughter inheriting her abilities, but Wilson argued that misreads the character’s core. She said the powers grow out of hardship, tied directly to the neglect and cruelty Matilda endured from her family before finding refuge with her teacher, Miss Honey. Stripping away that struggle, in her view, would undercut what made the original resonate.
Wilson also floated a question she called genuinely difficult: who Matilda would end up marrying. She said she cannot picture a partner suited to a character built on sharp intelligence and resilience, joking that the search for a fictional spouse worthy of her is harder than it sounds.
The actress used the same appearance to reflect on being permanently associated with the role. She recalled feeling irritated in her youth when strangers greeted her as Matilda rather than by her own name, likening it to being mistaken for a more accomplished sibling. She drew a comparison to Carrie Fisher, who once described her identity merging with Princess Leia over time, saying she has come to feel something similar.
No studio has announced a “Matilda” sequel, and Roald Dahl’s original novel never produced one either. Danny DeVito, who directed the 1996 film and appeared in it, has previously said he would be open to revisiting the story. The character has continued reaching new audiences through “Matilda the Musical” and its 2022 film adaptation, which introduced Alisha Weir in the title role. Wilson has been more resistant to reprising other early roles, having said she wanted no part of a “Mrs. Doubtfire” continuation.
