School of Rock is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater.
produced by Scott Rudin, and written by Mike White. The film stars Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a struggling rock guitarist who is kicked out of his band and subsequently poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After witnessing the musical talent of his students, Dewey forms a band of fourth-graders to attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands and use his winnings to pay his rent.
The film was released on October 3, 2003 by Paramount Pictures and grossed $131.3 million worldwide on a $35 million budget. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Black's performance and humor. School of Rock was the highest-grossing music-themed comedy of all time until the release of Pitch Perfect 2 in 2015.
A stage musical adaptation opened on Broadway in December 2015, and a television adaptation aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from March 2016 to April 2018. In 2023, Jack Black revealed that a direct sequel film to School of Rock was in development along with a Tenacious D film.