‘The Magic School Bus’ Is Getting a Live-Action Movie Starring Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks will be joining the cast of Scholastic Entertainment’s live-action movie adaptation of The Magic School Bus as charismatic school teacher Miss Frizzle. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be produced by Scholastic alongside Universal Pictures, Marc Platt Productions (Mary Poppins Returns), and Banks’ own Brownstone Pictures.
Based on writer Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen’s best-selling children’s book series, The Magic School Bus television show debuted in 1994 and ran for four seasons. Since then, the show has been aired on PBS for 18 consecutive years. Each episode’s storyline follows Miss Frizzle and her class as they embark on a field trip in their magic yellow school bus, which can transform into an airplane, submarine, or even a spaceship. It’s also the only kid’s show that we know of that takes you inside a human nostril.
Educational facts are woven into each story, as the kids get to experience the stuff in their science books for themselves. Said Scholastic Entertainment producer Iole Lucchese in a statement: "We are delighted to bring to life the iconic Ms. Frizzle and her zest for knowledge and adventure in a fresh new way that inspires the next generation of kids to explore science and supports the dedicated teachers who help make science real and accessible for young learners every day."
The series was adapted by Netflix in 2017, 20 years after the show’s conclusion. Titled The Magic School Bus Rides Again, the animated show follows the adventures of Miss Frizzle’s younger sister Fiona (Kate McKinnon). However, the upcoming Universal picture will be the first big-screen adaptation in the show’s 26-year history.
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