Legendary to produce live-action Magic School Bus film

A live-action film adaptation of the beloved children's series "The Magic School Bus" is officially moving forward at Legendary Entertainment, with actress and producer Elizabeth Banks set to star as the adventurous teacher Ms. Valerie Frizzle. The project, which had been in development at Universal Pictures since 2020, has now been acquired by Legendary, with Banks continuing her involvement.

Director Rob Letterman, known for "Detective Pikachu" and the 2015 "Goosebumps" film, is attached to write a treatment and direct. The film will be produced by Scholastic Entertainment, the publisher of the original book series, alongside Banks's Brownstone Productions, Marc Platt Productions, and Legendary.

The "Magic School Bus" franchise, created by author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen, launched in 1986 and has sold tens of millions of books worldwide. The series follows the eccentric Ms. Frizzle and her elementary school class as they embark on extraordinary educational field trips aboard a sentient, shape-shifting yellow school bus, exploring subjects from the human body to outer space.

The books were famously adapted into an animated PBS series that aired from 1994 to 1997,...