Matilda's character was initially scripted as a male and went by the name of Matias in the first drafts of the screenplay. The directors Max Seeck and Joonas Pajunen came across to the actress Saana Koivisto and invited her to an audition. The two directors were so convinced of Koivisto's acting skills that they decided to change Matias' character into Matilda and cast her for the role. The directors have thus described Matilda's character as gender neutral.