Lashana Lynch to join 'Matilda' movie musical as Miss Honey

Lashana Lynch is about to become our favourite wholesome on-screen teacher because she’s in final negotiations to play Miss Honey in Netflix’s screen adaptation of the musical, Matilda.

The feature adaptation of the musical is based on Roald Dahl’s Matilda novel published in 1988. It tells the story of 5-year-old Matilda, whose powers of telekinesis emerge as she’s trying to overcome bullies, including her own parents and her evil principal Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey is Matilda’s kind teacher who encourages her to use her gifts.

The Netflix film will follow the 1996 film adaptation and the 2010 stage production Matilda the Musical, which earned seven Olivier Awards in 2012 and five Tony Awards in 2013. Matthew Warchus is set to direct the film, original playwright Dennis Kelly will adapt the screenplay, and Tim Minchin will be in charge of the original music and lyrics. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce with Luke Kelly.

Lynch is best known for playing the role of Maria Rambeau in Captain America and Nomi in the latest Bond installment, No Time to Die, which is set to be released in April. Her character in the upcoming James Bond film will take over Bond’s license to kill as the newest “007” agent.

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It was previously reported in May that Jodie Comer was in talks to play the school teacher but it looks like Lynch will be taking over the role of Miss Honey, which was played by Embeth Davidtz in the 1996 film. Miss Honey is the step-niece of Agatha Trunchbull, who is notorious for punishing children and locking them in The Chokey, a tall narrow cupboard with rusty nails sticking out. She also threw a girl named Amanda over the fence by her pigtails and forced a child named Bruce to eat an entire chocolate cake infront of the whole school after claiming that he stole hers. Her behaviour would never fly in 2020, so it will be interesting to see if her character continues to act like this in the Netflix film. Regardless, we’re here to see Lynch kill The Trunchbull with kindness.

Many fans of the actress took to Twitter to celebrate the idea of Lynch as Miss Honey.

This will be an exciting year for Lynch, who recently opened up about her experience becoming the James Bond franchise’s first female 007. The actress accepted the mission to become the secret agent “who inherits the 007 title while Bond himself is in exile.” Lynch admitted to Harper’s Bazaar U.K. that she had reservations about taking the role when it was first presented to her because she didn’t want to get “lost behind the man” but after speaking with producer Barbara Broccoli and the director Cary Joji Fukunaga she decided to become Nomi

 “A character that is too slick, a cast-iron figure? That’s completely against what I stand for,” said Lynch. “I didn’t want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent. I searched for at least one moment in the script where Black audience members would nod their heads, tutting at the reality but glad to see their real-life represented.” Lynch added that with every project she’s part of she needs to make sure that the Black experience she’s presenting is “100 per cent authentic.”

The Captain Marvel actress explained that the Bond role gives her a chance to challenge the “toxic masculinity” that’s been present in a lot of action movies including the Bond franchise. “I feel very grateful that I get to challenge those narratives,” she said. “That’s happening because women are being open, demanding and vocal, and calling out misbehaviour as soon as we see it.”

When news of Lynch’s casting leaked last April, she said she received “an onslaught of outrage” resulting in her deleting her social media accounts, only seeing her family members and meditating. The actress knew that the backlash was not uniquely personal and the aggressive comments came from the fact that a Black woman would be inheriting the 007 title. “I am one Black woman–if it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse.”

Lynch added that she had to remind herself that she’s part of “something that will be very, very revolutionary.”

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