New Mexico is standing in for California in a new film, where the story revolves around a bus driver and a school teacher who bravely saved students during a devastating wildfire. This particular wildfire, which occurred in 2018, tragically claimed the lives of 85 individuals and almost wiped out the community of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills. While some residents have chosen to return and contribute to rebuilding, others still carry the weight of their haunting memories.
Curtis shared a heartfelt message on social media to honor the five-year anniversary of the devastating wildfire in Paradise. She expressed her admiration for the bravery of the residents and the heroes who responded, and announced her pride in producing a film based on the stories from Lizzie Johnson’s novel, “Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire.”
The project, titled “The Lost Bus,” officially began in 2022 and is currently being filmed in Santa Fe, Española, and Ruidoso, New Mexico. The film aims to shed light on the increasing volatility of wildfires in the West due to climate change. It has been reported that more than 2,812 square miles have burned so far this year, which is more than double the 10-year average. Starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, and directed by Paul Greengrass, “The Lost Bus” will tell the story of bus driver Kevin McKay and teacher Mary Ludwig as they bravely guided a bus full of children through a deadly wildfire. The production of the film is a collaborative effort between Curtis’ Comet Pictures, Brad Ingelsby, Greg Goodman, and Jason Blum’s production company Blumhouse. Their goal is to bring this powerful and heroic story to life on the big screen.
The dedicated teachers, aides, and bus drivers worked together to evacuate over 100 students in cars and school buses as the wildfire rapidly approached, Kessler shared. They bravely traveled for hours through smoke and flames to ensure the safe reunion of the children with their families.
In McKay’s case, he responded to an emergency call and picked up 22 students from Ponderosa Elementary School as the flames approached. Ludwig and fellow teacher Abbie Davis helped to comfort the children.
Curtis in a 2022 interview with Deadline said as a lifelong California resident, she watched with profound sadness as the ferocious fire consumed Paradise. She had said she wanted to be able to turn the stories in Johnson’s novel into a film that would explore the human elements, tragedies and bravery that stemmed from the wildfire.
The production will employ 480 New Mexico crew members and 2,100 extras, according to the New Mexico Film Office.
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Read the review of the movie on IMDb! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21103218/
