Melissa McCarthy is all set to headline the Netflix adaptation of Miss Nelson is Missing. The film is a live-action adaptation of the classic children's book.
In the story, Miss Nelson, a sweet teacher whose rowdy students do not understand her worth, disappears, only to be replaced by a very strict substitute teacher, Miss Viola Swamp. As Nelson herself orchestrates the grand plan to teach her students a lesson, disguising herself as Viola Swamp, Melissa McCarthy will be seen portraying both characters.
Harry Allard's 1977 novel, illustrated by James Marshall, Miss Nelson is Missing is being adapted for the screen by Brad Copeland, known for Spies in Disguise. If the film turns out to be successful on Netflix, two more stories from the franchise, namely, Miss Nelson is Back and Miss Nelson Has a Field Day, are ready to be adapted next.
Miss Nelson is Missing will be produced by Reese Witherspoon under her Hello Sunshine banner alongside Lauren Neustadter. Also producing are McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone under On the Day Productions, Lawrence Grey under Grey Matter, and Caroline Fraser for HarperCollins Productions.
This is not McCarthy's first collaboration with Netflix. Previously she has starred in the streamer's Superintelligence, Thunder Force and Unfrosted. She was last seen in the third season of Only Murders in the Building. More recently, she played Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid remake. In the pipeline, she has Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey and Margie Claus. She also serves as a producer on the latter.
