Movie version of award-winning 'Matilda the Musical' coming to Netflix

A movie version of the critically acclaimed stage musical version of Roald Dahl's Matilda is coming to the screen via Netflix.

The streaming studio and Sony Pictures will adapt the story of the genius school girl with magical powers, with Olivier Award-winning director Matthew Warchus behind the camera (Warchus directed the original production of the stage version too).

Netflix will then stream the movie worldwide, with a release in cinemas in the UK, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Matilda the Musical has taken on a life of its own since it was first staged at the Royal Shakespeare Company in late 2010.

With music and lyrics from Australian musician and comedian Tim Michin, and a book by Dennis Kelly, who penned the sitcom Pulling and the Channel 4 thriller series Utopia, it arrived in the West End in 2011, where it's still running today at the Cambridge Theatre.

It's tied with the Hamilton in winning the most Olivier Awards ever won by a musical, scooping seven.

It moved to Broadway in 2013 until 2017, over more than 1,500 performances, winning a further four Tony Awards.

The musical was also a critical smash.

Kelly will return to write the screenplay, though it's not the first time that Dahl's book has been adapted for the screen.

It was made, again by Sony, in 1996, starring Mrs Doubtfire child star Mara Wilson in the lead, with Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman as her horrible parents (DeVito also directed)

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The movie also featured Pam Ferris in the role of terrifying teacher Miss Trunchbull - played by the actor Bertie Cavill in the original stage show - and while it received some cult following, it was a box office disaster.

In 2018, Netflix announced that it was also planning new animated versions of Dahl classics including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The BFG.