TORONTO - American actor Matthew McConaughey returned to the big screen after several years away from high-profile films with the world premiere on Sept 5 of a new docudrama, The Lost Bus, at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Inspired by journalist Lizzie Johnson’s book on the real-life tragedy of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history that claimed 85 lives, the film offers a glimpse into the intensity and magnitude of the destructive fire.

McConaughey plays Kevin McKay, a school bus driver and struggling father who risks his life to rescue 22 children, racing against scorching flames that threaten their escape.

The film premieres at a time wildfires are fresh in the minds of many American viewers. Wildfires in Southern California in January killed at least 30 people, and Canada is experiencing its second-worst wildfire season on record.

McConaughey, 55, said the film explores the subject of the relationship between humans and Mother Nature.

“The message is in your face and the reality is in your face,” he told Reuters ahead of the film’s premiere.

In the film, he is joined by Oscar-nominated actress America Ferrera (Barbie, 2024), who plays an elementary school teacher fighting alongside him for survival.

“To me, the story is deeply about a human journey, about resilience and also about choices,” Ferrera, 41, said.

McConaughey’s real-life son, Levi, 17, and mother, Kay, 93, play McKay’s son and mother respectively.

The actor has two other children - Vida, 15, and Livingston, 12 - with his wife, Brazilian-American model Camila Alves, 42.