Elizabeth Banks Cast as Ms. Frizzle in The Magic School Bus in Live Action Film
The Magic School Bus film has found its Ms. Frizzle.
On Thursday, news broke that Elizabeth Banks will be playing the famous character in the live action film adaption of The Magic School Bus. Inspired by the beloved book and ‘90s Scholastic Entertainment series, the Pitch Perfect star will portray the quirky science teacher, who sets out on out-of-this-world adventures with her third grade students during their field trips in their yellow school bus.
"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," producer Iole Lucchese said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ms. Frizzle was famously voiced by Lily Tomlin during the animated series' run from 1994 to 1997.
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This isn't the first time that the popular children's franchise has been revisited in recent years. Back in 2017, Netflix rebooted the series with its The Magic School Bus: Rides Again, which was originally named Magic School Bus 360°, and enlisted Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon to play the role of Ms. Frizzle's sister Fiona.
"The Magic School Bus revolutionized kids' television through a unique and powerful blend of entertainment and science information. We're proud that it's become an evergreen show that children and parents continue to watch together," Deborah Forte, president of Scholastic Media said in a statement. "Our new rendition The Magic School Bus 360° is a similarly compelling addition to the current landscape of children's programming and on Netflix is bound to reach more families around the world than ever before who will now be able to watch the show anytime, anywhere they want."
In addition to The Magic School Bus: Rides Again, Netflix has also released adaptions of other beloved classics, including Goosebumps and Clifford: The Big Red Dog.
"Scholastic Media is a powerhouse creator and producer of top-quality programming for kids and families and its flagship series like The Magic School Bus, Clifford The Big Red Dog and Goosebumps have been huge hits on Netflix in all our territories," Ted Sarandos, chief content officer of Netflix, said in a statement. "We're thrilled to expand our relationships and to be the first-run home of The Magic School Bus 360°, introducing a whole new generation to Ms. Frizzle and her hijinks."
