Matthew McConaughey will return to the big screen for the first time since 2019 in The Lost Bus, a film about a bus driver saving a class of students from the deadliest California wildfire in history.
Inspired by Lizzie Johnson’s book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, the movie is set during the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, and follows bus driver Kevin McKay and teacher Mary Ludwig, played by America Ferrera (Barbie), as they rescue a class of 22 elementary students from raging, uncontrolled fires.
Yul Vasquez (Severance) will also star in the movie, along with Ashlie Atkinson (BlacKkKlansman), Danny McCarthy (Prison Break) and Spencer Watson (Mr. Student Body President).
Yes! The Lost Bus is inspired by and based on real-life hero Kevin McKay, a 41-year-old bus driver who indeed rescued 22 students from Ponderosa Elementary on Nov. 8, 2018. The teacher featured in the movie, 50-year-old Mary Ludwig, is also a real second grade teacher, though 29-year-old Abbie Davis, a kindergarten teacher who helped in real life, was left out of the film.
The fire, which was the deadliest wildfire to hit the U.S. in a century, killed 85 people and destroyed more than 90 percent of the community’s homes, according to The New York Times. The fire was caused by an outdated electrical transmission line owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). The company pled guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of unlawfully starting a fire, amassing a $13.5 billion settlement. The tragic event was named Camp Fire after Camp Creek Road, near where it originated.
Just like in the movie’s trailer, which you can find at the top of this article, McKay really did respond to an emergency call with his school bus to save the kids, who ranged between only 7 and 10 years old.
When smoke began to infiltrate the bus, McKay took off a shirt, and Ludwig and Davis began tearing it and dousing the pieces in water. The three adults then instructed the students to hold the wet cloths in front of their noses and mouths to breathe more safely.
“We were coughing and my eyes were hurting. I knew we had to do something. And that was, you know, our best option with what we had,” McKay told CBS News.
After driving through smoke, flames and tons of traffic for five hours, McKay, Ludwig and Davis safely delivered the children 30 miles from the town. Their heroic tale found its home with director Paul Greengrass (of the Jason Bourne franchise), and the movie promises of action-packed cinema backed by inspiring true accounts.
The film will release in select theaters on Sept. 19 and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on Oct. 3.
Apple TV+ comes with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers and has just one ad-free streaming plan available for $9.99/month.
For more on The Lost Bus, stay tuned.