Los Angeles [US], June 24 : 'The Magic School Bus' is getting the live-action treatment, with actress Elizabeth Banks set to star as the eccentric teacher Ms Frizzle in a new feature film, according to People.
Legendary Entertainment, the company behind blockbusters including the "Godzilla" and "Dune" films and "A Minecraft Movie," has acquired the rights to the children's franchise from Universal. Rob Letterman, who directed 2019's "Detective Pikachu," has signed on to write and direct the new film.
Based on the Scholastic children's books by authors Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, "The Magic School Bus" originally aired on PBS from 1994 to 1997. The animated series followed Ms. Frizzle, a school bus-driving teacher who led her eight students on magical field trips across time and space, with Lily Tomlin voicing the role. A sequel series aired on Netflix in 2017, with Kate McKinnon taking over as the voice of Ms. Frizzle.
Plot details for the upcoming live-action adaptation have not yet been confirmed. Letterman, 55, brings experience across both animated and live-action projects, having previously worked on 2004's "Shark Tale" and the recent "Goosebumps" revival.
Banks, 52, recently led the Peacock comedy-drama "The Miniature Wife" and also has the drama "Signal Hill," co-starring Jamie Foxx and Anthony Mackie, among her upcoming projects, according to People.