Is The Lost Bus based on a true story? Details explored

Matthew McConaughey again wore the shoes of another real-life hero in The Lost Bus. He portrays bus driver Kevin McKay, who braved the most destructive wildfire California has ever witnessed. Before this, he played Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club (2013), which earned him an Academy Award.

The latest film, which Paul Greengrass directed and co-wrote alongside Brad Ingelsby, is based on a true story. You can get the original account Lizzie Johnson wrote in a book called Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire.

As of this writing, the movie has already had its premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and is currently running in select theaters. It will be available on Apple TV+ for streaming beginning October 3, 2025.

It is already a critical success, gaining praise from critics and fans alike, with a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer and 92% on its Popcornmeter.

The website's consensus reads,

"Recreating a real-life disaster with terrifying authenticity, The Lost Bus ratchets up the tension while maintaining a humanist core thanks to Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera's effective performances."

We will now see what the story is behind The Lost Bus and what Kevin McKay is up to today.

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The true story behind The Lost Bus

Kevin McKay's presence in California was a miracle, not just because he saved the lives of those kids, but because he hadn't been living there for 25 years. He came back to California to see his father, who passed away before he was able to reach home.

He then stayed there to be with his family and do something for them, so he started studying at a university and secured a job as a bus driver to keep the flow of income intact.

It was on November 8, 2018, when the wildfire began. He answered a distress call for 22 children stuck in Paradise Elementary alongside a couple of teachers.

Thankfully, everything went well, and after five hours and traveling for miles, Kevin brought the children back to safety.

About Kevin, John told NPR in an interview,

"It was a very stable job. And, you know, the entire time, he kind of felt this itching in the back of his head that he wanted to do something more. And so he had quit his good, well-paying job and got a job as a bus driver at the local school district in Paradise to save money as he was going back to college to get a teaching degree."

Kevin later finished his studies and reportedly teaches at Fair View High School.

He isn't hyperactive on social media but joined Instagram last year, where he also shared a photo of himself with The Lost Bus actors, which you can see below.

Kevin also lost his home in the fire but thankfully pulled his family to safety.

We can't say if this will be another Matthew McConaughey performance that shows up on the Oscars stage. However, it is one worth watching, especially to know a story that emerged from the most destructive wildfire California witnessed.

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