A live-action “The Magic School Bus” movie, starring Elizabeth Banks as Ms. Frizzle, is regaining momentum after six years in development.
Legendary Entertainment has acquired the rights from Universal, which initially optioned the project in June 2020. Meanwhile Rob Letterman (“Shark Tales,” “Detective Pikachu”) has signed on to write and direct the film.
“The Magic School Bus” is based on the beloved children’s books by authors Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Though plot details for the movie haven’t been confirmed, the educational series follows the eccentric teacher Ms. Frizzle and her class as they go on field trips in their yellow school bus that magically transforms into everything from a plane and submarine to a spaceship and surfboard to help them navigate terrain like outer space and the human body.
In the ’90s, PBS adapted “The Magic School Bus” into a popular animated series, which aired in more than 100 countries and featured Lily Tomlin as the voice of Ms. Frizzle. An animated TV sequel, “The Magic School Bus Rides Again,” featuring Kate McKinnon as Ms. Frizzle’s sister, Fiona, debuted on Netflix in 2017.
Legendary Entertainment is producing the new “Magic School Bus” with publisher Scholastic. Producers include Iole Lucchese and Caitlin Friedman for Scholastic, Banks, Max Handelman, and Alison Small for Brownstone Productions, Marc Platt and Adam Siegel for Marc Platt Productions, and Mary Parent, Ali Mendes, and Cale Boyter for Legendary.
Legendary’s recent projects include “A Minecraft Movie,” “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” as well as the “MonsterVerse” installments such as “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Upcoming films include Alejandro G. Iñárritu starring Tom Cruise’s “Digger” and “Dune: Part Three,” as well as adaptations of “Magic: The Gathering” and “Street Fighter.”
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