Forty years after “The Magic School Bus” first took readers on unforgettable educational adventures, the beloved children's franchise is headed to the big screen. Legendary Entertainment and Scholastic Entertainment are developing a live-action adaptation of the best-selling book series, with Elizabeth Banks attached to star as iconic teacher Ms. Frizzle and as a producer.
Here's everything we know so far about the new “Magic School Bus” film, from the creative team to potential casting opportunities.
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Official plot details remain under wraps, and it’s currently unknown whether the upcoming film will adapt a classic book or launch an entirely new adventure for Ms. Frizzle and her students.
The adaptation builds on Scholastic’s best-selling children's book series created by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen in 1986. With over 90 million copies sold worldwide, the books follow eccentric science teacher Ms. Valerie Frizzle. Alongside her class, she boards a magical yellow school bus that can transform into everything from a spaceship to a submarine, turning field trips into extraordinary journeys through outer space, the human body, and more.
The beloved books quickly evolved into a massive multimedia hit, beginning with the 1994 animated series, which debuted as PBS’s first fully animated show and featured Lily Tomlin as the voice of Ms. Frizzle. The franchise continued with Netflix’s “The Magic School Bus Rides Again” in 2017 with Tomlin reprising her role and Kate McKinnon starring as Ms. Frizzle’s younger sister, Fiona. The books have also inspired video games, digital media, and a touring stage musical, “The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System.”
Rob Letterman (“Shark Tale”) is attached to write the film's treatment and direct. He previously collaborated with Legendary on “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.” He also directed the 2015 film adaptation of R. L. Stine's young-adult horror novel “Goosebumps” series, starring Jack Black, and most recently worked on the Disney+ “Goosebumps” TV series (2023–2025).
This live-action adaptation follows an earlier version of the project that spent several years in development at Universal before the rights reverted and were acquired by Legendary.
Only Banks has been confirmed at this time; no other cast members have been announced yet.
It’s still too early to know when production will begin, but you can stay on top of opportunities by checking out our main casting page and similar greenlit projects:
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