Apple Original Films is in talks to acquire thriller “The Lost Bus,” which has Matthew McConaughey attached to star and director Paul Greengrass attached to direct.
“The Lost Bus” was written by Brad Ingelsby, the writer behind the hit show “Mare of Easttown.” His screenplay adapts Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 nonfiction book “Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire,” which chronicles the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in California – the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history. The film will focus on school bus driver Kevin McKay and teacher Mary Ludwig, who bravely led McKay’s bus carrying students through the blaze that ravaged the town of Paradise.
The project comes from Jamie Lee Curtis’ Comet Pictures and Jason Blum’s Blumhouse. Producing the project along with Curtis and Blum is Ingelsby and Greg Goodman. Johnson and Amy Lord are the film’s executive producers.
The film was set in motion after Curtis discovered Johnson’s story on NPR and brought the project to Blumhouse Productions, where Curtis has a first-look production deal.
“The Lost Bus” marks the second collaboration for Apple Original Films and Ingelsby, joining “Echo Valley.” The film also marks the latest collaboration for McConaughey and Apple TV+ following the announcement of a new Apple TV+ comedy series from creator David West Read in which McConaughey will star alongside Woody Harrelson.
McConaughey’s recent credits include a starring role in Guy Ritchie’s 2019 crime comedy “The Gentlemen” along with voice roles in the 2021 animated sequel “Sing 2” and Netflix’s 2022 cartoon series “Agent Elvis.”
Greengrass is best known for directing the “Jason Bourne” franchise and most recently 2020’s Tom Hanks drama “News of the World.”
Ingelsby won an Emmy as the creator of HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” and has scripted films including “The Way Back.” He also penned the upcoming Apple thriller “Echo Valley,” which will be directed by Michael Pearce and star Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, and Domhnall Gleeson.
McConaughey is repped by WME and attorneys Kevin Yorn and David Krinzman. Greengrass is repped by CAA. Curtis and Comet Films are repped by CAA. Ingelsby is repped by LBI Entertainment and CAA.