The beloved educational franchise is heading back to the big screen with Elizabeth Banks attached to star and Rob Letterman set to direct.
Elizabeth Banks has officially signed on to play Ms. Frizzle in a live-action adaptation of The Magic School Bus, which is now in development at Legendary Entertainment.
Elizabeth Banks is stepping aboard The Magic School Bus as the iconic Ms. Frizzle.
Legendary recently secured the rights to the beloved children's franchise and is moving forward with plans for a feature film based on the bestselling book series.
Filmmaker Rob Letterman is attached to direct and will first develop a treatment for the project. Letterman previously worked with Legendary on Detective Pikachu and directed the 2015 adaptation of Goosebumps, another popular Scholastic property.
The production brings together several major partners, including Scholastic, Brownstone Productions, Marc Platt Productions, and Legendary Entertainment.
Banks' involvement with the project has been years in the making. A version of the film was first announced in 2020 while it was being developed at Universal Pictures, but the adaptation has since found new momentum under Legendary.
Created by writer Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen, The Magic School Bus debuted in 1986 and became one of the most successful educational children's franchises ever published.
The series follows the eccentric science teacher Ms. Frizzle and her students as they embark on imaginative field trips aboard a magical yellow school bus capable of transforming into everything from a submarine to a spacecraft. The books combined science education with adventure and humor, helping inspire generations of young readers.
The franchise later expanded into a successful animated television series that aired from 1994 through 1997. Lily Tomlin voiced Ms. Frizzle throughout the show's 52-episode run and became closely associated with the character.
More than two decades later, the property returned with Netflix's The Magic School Bus Rides Again, which introduced Kate McKinnon as Fiona Frizzle while Tomlin returned as the original Ms. Frizzle.
Banks is best known for her work in the Pitch Perfect franchise, The Hunger Games films, and numerous comedy hits. In recent years, she has also built a successful career as a producer and director.
For longtime fans who grew up reading the books or watching the animated series, the live-action adaptation represents the latest chapter in one of children's entertainment's most enduring educational franchises.
