IT was the perfect blend of childhood mischief, evil adults getting their comeuppance and magical marvel.
Now Roald Dahl's beloved novel Matilda has been brought back for a second film run, adapted from the stage show - and it's received rave reviews.
This rendition stars Emma Thompson as child-hating headmistress Miss Trunchbull, Stephen Graham as Matilda's mean dad and a stellar cast of child stars.
It was been branded "the best family movie since Paddington 2" by The Sun's film reviewer Grant Rollings and many critics have echoed his praise.
The classic film came out in 1996, starring Danny DeVito and Pam Ferris.
Here we reveal what became of the original cast - from bombshell affair claims to shunning the spotlight.
Matilda – Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson was just nine when she played Matilda - after landing parts in Mrs Doubtfire and Miracle On 34th Street.
Tragically, her mum died a few months before Matilda was released in cinemas.
After taking on a couple more roles, the child star bowed out of acting for 12 years.
Recently she starred in the TV series BoJack Horseman and released her book, Where Am I Now?
Mara, now 35, expressed solidarity with Britney Spears in an essay for the New York Times, where she said they both were "sexualised" from a young age.
She claimed to have received love letters from 50-year-old men, found her photos on foot fetish websites and images of her were "photoshopped into child pornography".
Mara was disillusioned with fame and in a 2016 interview on Lorraine told fans: “I never meant to become famous. I grew up in Los Angeles and as a child was acting, it was almost like a hobby.”
She also revealed that her co-star Danny DeVito had taken a copy of the film to show her dying mother while she was in hospital "so she could get the chance to see it".
Miss Trunchbull - Pam Ferris
After terrifying children as an evil headmistress who swung a girl around by her pigtails, Pam Ferris played another film baddie.
She starred as the odious Aunt Marge in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, who was famously inflated like a balloon after being mean to the boy wizard
It was followed by parts in TV hits including Rosemary & Thyme, Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit and Call The Midwife.
Arguably, Pam's most famous role was as Ma Larkin in Darling Buds Of May - but after filming ended, she revealed a rift emerged between her and one of her co-stars.
In 2008, she claimed Catherine Zeta-Jones had fallen out with her after she was forced to miss one of the A-lister's film premieres.
"I think it was Zorro - but my car got stuck in terrible traffic," Pam told the MailOnline.
"It was a royal première and you're not allowed to be late, so I had to miss it. I've effectively been sending apology messages for nearly 15 years."
Bruce Bogtrotter – Jimmy Karz
In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, schoolboy Bruce Bogtrotter is forced to gorge on a huge chocolate cake by evil head Miss Trunchbull.
But now star Jimmy Karz, 38, is no longer that chubby, chocolate-smeared 12-year-old - in fact, after shedding his puppy fat and growing facial hair, many have branded him a hunk.
After Matilda, the Los Angeles native made brief appearances in The Wedding Singer and TV series ER before pursuing a career away from the limelight.
He studied Osteopathic Medicine at Philadelphia College before graduating as a doctor in 2017 - and it didn't seem he regretted his decision.
“Film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again until, in the director’s eyes, you ‘get it right’ does not allow for very much creative freedom," Jimmy said in 2012.
“The best times I had on film sets were the times the director let me express myself, but those were rare.”
Mr Wormwood - Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito was already a Hollywood legend by the time he starred in - and directed - Matilda, where he played her neglectful father.
The 77-year-old bagged comedic parts including as a stripper in Friends, Buddy in Deck The Halls and Herb Powell in The Simpsons.
However, one of Danny's most lauded roles has been as conniving creep Frank Reynolds in It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which he's appeared in since 2006.
But his personal life has been no laughing matter. Danny and his wife Rhea Perlman split up twice, most recently in 2017 after 35 years together.
Their separation was allegedly linked to him cheating on her multiple times with extras on set - claims the actor has regularly denied.
Lavender – Kiami Davael
Matilda’s best friend – the one who put the lizard in Miss Trunchbull’s glass – was one of the cutest kids in the class.
Now, while Kiami Davael, 36, is barely recognisable today, she's just as stylish as she was in the film 26 years ago.
After appearing in the Roald Dahl movie, she had stints in the TV shows Conan The Adventurer, Moesha, The House and Grown Ups.
Kiami took a 12-year break from acting college, graduating with a psychology degree from the University of Kentucky in 2008.
She’s still close friends with Matilda star Mara Wilson and now writes, sings and is due to appear the upcoming flicks Whealthy And Wise and Chicago Calling.
Mrs Wormwood - Rhea Perlman
After playing Mrs Wormwood alongside then-husband Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman has continued to enjoy a successful film career.
The 74-year-old won four of 10 Emmy Award nominations and was shortlisted for seven Golden Globes.
Rhea has starred in The Mindy Project for three years, The Goldbergs and is due to appear in the new Barbie movie.
Away from the cameras, she has three children with Danny and while the pair have separated, they have no intention to divorce.
This year, Rhea's insisted they are "closer friends" than they were for their last two years as a couple and admitted "it probably worked out for the best".
"Sometimes I wish we were still together because those were the glory days, but these are other kinds of glory days," she told People magazine.
Amanda Thripp - Jacqueline Steiger
Who can forget the little blonde girl who was swung around by her pigtails and hurled across the playground by shotputter Miss Trunchbull?
Well, now former child star Jacqueline Steiger, who played Amanda Thripp, is in her 30s and appears to have left acting behind.
After Matilda she appeared in Dennis The Menace Strikes Again! and Beautiful, as well as the TV shows Dharma & Greg and Judging Amy.
Apart from two short films and a web series, Jacqueline has quit acting to pursue other interests.
She graduated with a degree in linguistics and anthropology in 2010 and completed a TEFL - Teaching English As A Foreign Language - course five years later.
Jacqueline now works in instructional design after taking a course two years ago and runs her own business.
Miss Honey - Embeth Davidtz
In Matilda, she played the timid but loveable teacher Miss Honey who eventually adopted the magical child genius.
Since the role actress Embeth Davidtz, who was born in South Africa, has savoured a great run of big parts.
She's starred in TV series Citizen Baines, Mad Men and Californication, as well as playing played Peter Parker's mother in The Amazing Spider-Man reboots.
In 2013, Embeth secretly battled breast cancer and had a mastectomy.
Her struggle only became known three years later, when she turned down a prosthetic and chose to display her reconstructed breast in the TV series Ray Donovan.
Embeth said she hoped to make others who had gone through breast cancer "feel beautiful" too.
The 57-year-old has been married to entertainment attorney Jason Sloan for 20 years and has two teenage children.
Michael Wormwood – Brian Levinson
Despite Matilda’s impressive brain and magical talents, Michael was the favourite child of the awful Wormwood parents.
Star Brian Levinson left acting shortly after the film's release and a final role in the US series Seinfeld.
Brian spent nearly nine years in the US Marines before becoming an IT specialist and systems analyst.
Now nearly 40, he's married with two children and runs a PR and marketing firm for the nightclub industry.