Ready to visit the magic faraway tree with us?
It's been a while since we've had a whimsical fantasy film to cosy up with – even longer since said film came packed with a cast of who's who of British actors. Based on the Enid Blyton book series, The Magic Faraway Tree may officially be a children's film, but starring everyone from Andrew Garfield to Jennifer Saunders, it's piqued the interest of adults, too. After all, who wouldn't want to heal their inner child with some good old-fashioned movie magic?
In case you didn't read Blyton's books before bed as a kid, The Magic Faraway Tree tells the tale of a young family that's forced to move out of London and into a countryside barn. A fresh start! With a vegetable patch! And not a single Lime bike in sight! The kids are warned explicitly to stay away from the nearby enchanted wood – but, you know, they're kids. Magical hijinks featuring mythical creatures ensue.
In The Other Bennet Sister, we get a peek inside the Caroline Bingley's inner life — it's high-time we gave Austen's ultimate mean girl some credit.
But back to that megawatt cast. Here's everything you need to know about the all-star lineup and their roles in spring's biggest British movie.
Who’s in The Magic Faraway Tree cast?
Written by Simon Farnaby, the mind behind Paddington films, The Magic Faraway Tree features the very best of British talent both on and off camera. And there are more than a few recognisable faces in the mix.
Making her first-ever appearance in a children's film, Claire Foy stars as Polly, the mother of the family that has to up and move to the countryside. What's more, it's kind of her fault. At the start of the film, she gets fired from her engineering job after flat-out refusing to implement spy-tech into her company's line of smart fridges. And as the family's breadwinner, they have no choice but to downsize.
Foy had never read the original books as a child, so while preparing for the film, she turned it into a sweet bonding experience with her 10-year-old daughter. “I bought the audiobook for her and we listened to it together,” she told The Guardian in a recent interview. “But I didn’t read it myself as a kid, so it’s been like discovering Harry Potter at the age of 40!”
And who plays Foy’s on-screen other half? None other than Andrew Garfield, who takes on the role of Tim, the children’s father. He’s more than happy to swap London life for the countryside, armed with idealistic dreams of growing tomatoes and pulling his kids away from their screens.
As it turns out, a few of Tim’s back-to-basics traits may even have rubbed off on Garfield himself. “My dad is the green-thumbed one of the family and sometimes I go and help him with his garden,” he said in the same Guardian interview. “But this has filled me with longing for my own version. I think it’s a longing we all have, to feel more connected to the planet that we’re on. Mainstream modern culture seems designed to help us forget and dislocate us from nature.”
In fact, the digital detox themes of the films seem to have really hit home. Speaking to the BBC, he also spoke about the importance of resisting the tech takeover. “The more we live through this technological revolution, the more we understand that our consciousness is being hijacked,” he said. "Our attention, a valuable commodity, is being commodified and is being used and abused by tech companies."
Playing their daughter Beth is rising star Delilah Bennett-Cardy. As the eldest Thompson child, Beth would much rather be chatting with her friends than embracing countryside life.
This marks her second screen credit, having previously appeared in the 2023 ITV series Tom Jones.
The middle Thompson child, Joe, is completely immersed in his virtual reality obsession, Mindblast. He’s played by Phoenix Laroche, who previously appeared in Prime Video’s Malice.
And as for sweet Fran, she’ll be played by Billie Gadsdon. The youngest of the three siblings, Fran is the first to discover the magical tree. Despite her young age, Gadsdon already has an impressive list of credits, including The Midwich Cuckoos, A Gentleman in Moscow, Here, Nocebo and Cruella.
Playing Silky is Nicola Coughlan. Silky, one of the fairy residents of the Faraway Tree, has long, golden hair and is a beloved companion to the children on their adventures.
Coughlan has impressed us in almost everything she’s starred in — from Derry Girls to Big Mood and everything in between. And of course, we adored her in Bridgerton, particularly in season three, when she fearlessly chased her own love story with Colin Bridgerton. Now she's a core member of The Magic Faraway Tree cast.
We don’t know about you, but we’ve always had a soft spot for the Saucepan Man. A key resident of the Faraway Tree, he’s a little hard of hearing because he’s covered head to toe in clattering pots and pans.
He’ll be played by Dustin Demri-Burns, who you’ll recognise from a string of British comedies including Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Grimsby, Bridget Jones’s Baby and All My Friends Hate Me. More recently, he had a regular role as Min Harper in Slow Horses.
Best known for his long-running sketch show The Lenny Henry Show, which aired for 20 years, Lenny Henry has enjoyed a hugely prolific career. He co-founded Comic Relief with Richard Curtis and has appeared in countless TV shows and films over the years.
Henry will now bring his comic genius to the role of the Great Know-All, the self-proclaimed leader of the three Know-Alls who insist they’re wise — but are really delightfully clueless. Expect plenty of laughs!
As for the second Know-All, equally pompous and clueless, we have the legendary Michael Palin. A comedy icon, Palin is best known as a member of the sketch group Monty Python, co-writing and starring in classics like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and The Meaning of Life. Since then, he’s largely focused on his celebrated travel documentaries, but we can’t wait to see him back in a comedy role!
The third Know-All is played by Simon Russell Beale, best known for his acclaimed stage work. On screen, he portrayed Lavrentiy Beria in The Death of Stalin alongside fellow Know-All Michael Palin and appeared as Winston Churchill in Operation Mincemeat. He’s also in House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, playing Ser Simon Strong — and now he’s bringing his formidable presence to the Faraway Tree as the final, hilariously clueless Know-All.
We can barely contain our excitement at seeing Jennifer Saunders on the Magic Faraway Tree cast list. A true comedy legend, Saunders is best known for creating the sketch show French and Saunders with her longtime partner Dawn French, and for her unforgettable turn as Edina Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous alongside Joanna Lumley.
This time, she steps into the role of Grandma Frida, Polly’s formidable mother. Arriving to assess the Thompsons’ new life, she quickly finds it wanting, and isn’t exactly impressed by her son-in-law Tim’s questionable schemes.
Rebecca Ferguson is booked and busy, it seems. The talented actress most recently appeared in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man opposite Cillian Murphy, and she brought Lady Jessica to life in 2021’s Dune and its 2024 sequel — a role she’s set to reprise in the conclusion of the trilogy in late 2026.
This time, Ferguson is stepping into the shoes of a villain. She plays Dame Snap, the strict and unforgiving headmistress of a school where children can become trapped forever doing lessons. She haunted our nightmares as kids, so we’re equal parts excited and terrified to see her brought vividly to life in the film adaptation.
Playing the beloved Moonface is Nonso Anozie, known for his roles as Xaro Xhoan Daxos in Game of Thrones season two and Oberon in Russell T Davies’s TV adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. More recently, he’s appeared in Ted Lasso, The Sandman, and The Mandalorian.
Moonface is the round-faced heart of the Faraway Tree gang, endlessly enthusiastic and convinced he’s the leader — even if his friends don’t always agree.
As for the true leader of the Faraway Tree crew, that honour goes to Dame Washalot, the gang’s mission-control figure who keeps everyone in line.
We’re thrilled to see Jessica Gunning take on this pivotal role. She impressed audiences in Baby Reindeer and is also set to appear in the upcoming film adaptation of Frank and Percy, proving once again that she’s one to watch.
Mark Heap is a household name thanks to his iconic comedic roles in Chris Morris’s Brass Eye, Friday Night Dinner, Spaced, and Green Wing. He’ll now bring his signature flair to the role of Mr Oom Boom Boom, a bombastic wheeler-dealer hiding out in the basement of the Land of Birthdays.
Mr Watzisname is a delightfully befuddled character who can never quite remember his own name, and he’ll be brought to life by Oliver Chris. Most recently, Chris appeared as James Vereker in the Disney+ series Rivals. He’s also had memorable roles in Green Wing, The IT Crowd, and According to Bex.
Farmer Brian is the nearly incomprehensible local farmer who quickly becomes acquainted with the Thompsons after they move in. He’ll be played by Simon Farnaby, who previously appeared in Horrible Histories, another beloved childhood classic brought to the screen. Farnaby has also written Paddington 2 and Paddington in Peru, co-created and starred in Ghosts, and penned the screenplay for Wonka. On top of that, he’s the writer behind The Magic Faraway Tree itself.
We'll keep you updated on The Magic Faraway Tree, which will be released in cinemas on the 27th of March.
