Academy Award-winner Matthew McConaughey is the hero we need right now in the newly released trailer for next month’s survival drama, The Lost Bus. The celebrated actor, who, after leading all manner of rom-coms returned for what was dubbed “The McConaissance” thanks to roles in the likes of True Detective, Mud, Dallas Buyers Club, and Interstellar, has not been seen on screen for six years, with The Lost Bus marking his fiery return.
Directed by Academy Award-nominee Paul Greengrass and inspired by real events, The Lost Bus is written by Brad Ingelsby and Paul Greengrass, and is produced by Jason Blum for Blumhouse Productions, Jamie Lee Curtis for Comet Pictures, Brad Ingelsby, and Gregory Goodman. The survival drama is based on the book “Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire” by Lizzie Johnson and stars America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, and Ashlie Atkinson alongside McConaughey. The Lost Bus is due to land in select theaters from today, September 19, before landing on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 3, 2025. You can check out both the new trailer and official synopsis below…
“Directed by Academy Award-nominee Paul Greengrass and inspired by real events, “The Lost Bus” is a white-knuckle ride through one of America’s deadliest wildfires, as a wayward school bus driver (Academy Award-winner Matthew McConaughey) and a dedicated school teacher (Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe Award-winner America Ferrera) battle to save 22 children from the terrifying inferno.”
‘The Lost Bus’ Boasts a Score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes
The Lost Bus made its debut at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month and now sits at a hugely promising 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. The true-story survival outing has been hailed by critics and has been described by critics as Paul Greengrass’ “finest film” since 2009’s critically acclaimed Captain Phillips.
“As well as a return to the style of Captain Phillips, The Lost Bus proves to be Greengrass’s finest film since: a story of human resilience in the direst of straits, with an unflinchingly human focus,” concluded Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph alongside a perfect rating of 5/5, with another 5/5 being awarded by Danny Leigh of the Financial Times, who said, “Given the tension, it feels strange to say Greengrass is in his comfort zone, but few other directors could choreograph the story with such seemingly easy precision.”
Praise has also been heaped on Matthew McConaughey, with Peter Gray of The AU Review calling the movie “as effective as it is because it has McConaughey as its centre.” Lastly, the applause continues courtesy of Katie Doll of CBR, who said, “The Lost Bus is epic, to say the least, designed to make audiences feel a vicarious rush in a non-stop drive for survival.”
After six years away, Matthew McConaughey is back, and he means business, with the actor set to follow The Lost Bus with the equally acclaimed crime thriller The Rivals of Amziah King, which is awaiting a wide release date after debuting at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival back in March.
- Release Date
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October 3, 2025
- Runtime
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130 minutes
- Director
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Paul Greengrass
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
