After years of development starts and stops, The Magic School Bus is officially heading to the big screen. Legendary has secured the rights to the beloved educational franchise and is moving forward with a live-action feature that will star and be produced by Elizabeth Banks as the iconic Ms. Frizzle. The project will also reunite Legendary with director Rob Letterman, who is set to direct and develop the film's treatment.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the announcement marks the biggest update yet for a project that first surfaced in 2020, when Banks was attached to a separate version at Universal. This new iteration brings together Legendary, Scholastic, Brownstone Productions, and Marc Platt Productions, signaling a renewed push to bring one of the most recognizable properties in children’s entertainment into live action. Letterman is no stranger to adapting family-friendly franchises, having previously directed both Detective Pikachu and the 2015 Goosebumps film.
Created by author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen, The Magic School Bus began as a series of books in 1986. The first installment, The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks, tackled the water cycle—a deliberately unglamorous science topic chosen to prove that real scientific concepts could still be entertaining.
The franchise exploded in popularity thanks to its mix of humor, adventure, and surprisingly rigorous science education.
At the center of the series is Ms. Valerie Frizzle, the fearless teacher known for her wild red hair, science-themed dresses, and unconventional field trips. Her class travels aboard a magical yellow school bus capable of transforming into virtually anything imaginable.
Over the years, the vehicle has become a spaceship, submarine, airplane, flower, beehive, and even shrunk to molecular size. As the franchise famously encouraged viewers, students were expected to "take chances, make mistakes, and get messy."
The property reached a wider audience through the PBS animated series that ran from 1994 to 1997. Lily Tomlin voiced Ms. Frizzle throughout the show's 52-episode run, helping turn the character into a cultural icon.
Decades later, Netflix revived the franchise with The Magic School Bus Rides Again, featuring Kate McKinnon as Fiona Frizzle, the younger sister of the original teacher, while Tomlin returned to reprise her role.
