Does Matilda have a brother in the book?

Matilda the Musical is on Netflix now – but viewers have been left asking: does Matilda have a brother in the book?

Matilda was most memorably brought to life by Danny DeVito in the 1996 classic, with Mara Wilson playing the titular bookworm who faces off against the best baddie of them all: Miss Trunchbull.

In 2011, Tim Minchin launched Matilda the Musical, an acclaimed, award-winning stage show on Broadway and the West End that’s taken home five Tony Awards.

However, there are a few differences between the book, the first movie, and the Netflix musical – so, we’re here to answer: does Matilda have a brother in the book?

Does Matilda have a brother in the book?

Yes, Matilda does have a brother in the book! His name is Michael Wormwood, and he’s Matilda’s older brother – however, he doesn’t appear in the Netflix musical.

He also appears in the 1996 movie, played by Brian Levinson. He doesn’t get along with his sister, calling her names like “dip-face” and throwing food at her before they sit down for their TV dinner.

Sony Pictures

Strangely enough, Michael also appears in the original stage musical, where he’s portrayed as a bit gormless and lazy, refusing to pay any attention to his sister.

It remains unclear why he was cut from the Netflix adaptation – one has to assume it was to free up the runtime to focus on Matilda’s journey.

The new movie stars Alisha Weir as Matilda, Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, and Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough as the Wormwoods.

In our review, we said it was “loud, bright, and garish, and if they can cope with the darker strands of the story, kids are going to love it.”

Matilda the Musical is streaming on Netflix now, except in the UK, where it’s screening in cinemas.