Where was Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical filmed? We discuss the popular Netflix film and its various locations.
The stage musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda has been a hit since it first premiered in 2010 in Stratford-upon-Avon before transferring to the West End the following year. So it’s little surprise that it’s finally received a film adaptation, not to be confused with the 1996 film with whom the musical shares its source material. According to Netflix, this film is “A brand new take on the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical tells the story of an extraordinary girl, with a vivid imagination, who dares to take a stand to change her story with miraculous results.”
The movie has received a limited theatrical release and appears on Netflix on Christmas Day, a smart move considering its target audience of families. Critics thus far have overwhelmingly loved the movie, and it currently has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review for the London Evening Standard, Charlotte O’Sullivan said, “The best moments are extraordinary and Thompson’s Trunchbull will haunt my dreams, quite possibly forever.”
Where was Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical filmed – a breakdown of locations
Shepperton Studios
The movie used Shepperton Studios in Shepperton, Surrey in the United Kingdom to film many of its scenes. It’s typical for a film to utilize a studio, particularly for its indoor scenes, especially one that needs enough room in its interiors for intense choreography like Matilda the Musical certainly has. The trailer shows many fantastical sequences, which were almost definitely filmed at a studio — it makes sense that a film that has magical elements would need to be made largely in a studio so that CGI effects can be done. It used nine different sets and the backlot, according to the studio’s website, so it must have some incredible variety in set design.
Bramshill House
Bramshill House in Hampshire functions as Crunchem Hall, the ominous school that Matilda attends. The mansion was built in the early 1600s, though an estate has existed on its grounds since the 14th century. The estate is supposedly England’s most haunted house and was used by the state for many years following World War II.
The manor house’s front can be spotted in the film’s trailer, as the setting for a large musical sequence, and it features in several other scenes. It likely was one of the most utilized filming locations in the entire film.
Bison Hill Car Park in Dunstable, England
The windmill scenes took place in Bison Hill Car Park in Dunstable, England which provided spectacular views. While the windmill itself was added for the production, the setting was a perfect backdrop for it. A representative for Poppet Productions, a company working on the film, stated that “Bison Hill car park has been chosen for its outstanding aspect and views that give an unbeatable backdrop for the scenes being filmed.”
Additional Locations
The film’s IMDb page suggests that additional filming took place at the Whipsnade Zoo and in Dublin, Ireland. The film seems to have blended filming inside the Shepperton Studio with plenty of on-location shooting. All of this has combined for a delightful new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic novel that is sure to delight viewers of all ages once they are able to see it on Netflix.
