‘Matilda’ is a fantasy comedy film based on the eponymous novel by Roald Dahl. It chronicles the adventures of Matilda Wormwood, a girl with extraordinary intellect. As time passes, the young girl faces the world’s cruelty and finds herself alone, with no one to understand her true feelings. However, she soon discovers her psychic powers of telekinesis, which she uses to her advantage.
Matilda then decides to stand up to her parents and put the school’s authority in their place with her newfound abilities. The 1996 movie is directed by Danny DeVito, who masterfully uses a 90s-style backdrop that appears homely yet funky. If you are curious to know the whereabouts of these sites, we’ve got you covered.
Matilda Filming Locations
The shooting of ‘Matilda’ occurred in California, a state with a long history of filmmaking, where the crew shot from May 8, 1995, to October 24, 1995. The Golden State is home to Silicon Valley, national parks, beaches, and Sonoma Valley. California is abundant in filming infrastructure, talent, and cultural diversity, which makes it an ideal choice for moviemakers. Here they recorded most of the film in Los Angeles County, so let’s look at the specific locations that the team utilized.
Los Angeles County, California
The movie’s principal photography occurred in Los Angeles, the birthplace of Hollywood. From modern architecture to historically preserved sites, the City of Angels caters to almost every kind of backdrop requirement. The exteriors of the Wormwoods’ house were lensed in Whittier, a city known for Greenway Trail, Quaker Heritage, and Richard Nixon (the 37th President of the United States). The house is located at 15811 Youngwood Drive, on a posh suburban street.
The crew also recorded a few segments in Altadena, which lies at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and boasts tourist sites like Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Mount Lowe Railway Trail, Farnsworth Park, and Christmas Tree Lane. In the movie, Crank House stands in for Miss Trunchbull’s abode, and it is situated at 2186 East Crary Street. Pasadena, a picturesque city, also served as a filming location in the movie. Mayfield Senior School in the city doubles as the hospital where Matilda is born and is stationed at 500 Bellefontaine Street.
A few scenes were reportedly shot at The Pasadena Public Library, located at 285 East Walnut Street. Another library sequence was captured in Long Beach, a well-maintained city renowned for its education sector and giant aerospace industry. The street that appears in the movie when Matilda walks into the library is based in Long Beach and is known as East Third Street and Pine Avenue. Moreover, the actual library is in the city of Los Angeles itself, known as the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library, which belongs to the University of Southern California and is established at 3550 Trousdale Parkway.
The filmmakers also recorded some portions in Arcadia, which houses excellent public schools and impressive annual fests. The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden was a shooting site in the movie, and it lies on 301 North Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia.
Lastly, the crew captured major segments in Culver City, where instead of opting for the contemporary outdoor locations, they preferred the Sony Pictures Studios, where they included Stage 12 and seemingly other parts of the facility, which was built on 10202 West, Washington Boulevard. Other similar movies that were lensed here include, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ and ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’
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