Netflix to adapt Eloise with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Ryan Reynolds

Netflix Secures Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Live-Action Eloise Adaptation with Ryan Reynolds

Netflix has acquired the distribution rights to a live-action adaptation of the beloved 1950s children’s book series “Eloise,” with Ryan Reynolds set to play an original villain character alongside newcomer Mae Schenk in the titular role. The streaming giant announced the project on November 3, with “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino attached to direct and co-write the screenplay.denofgeek

The film represents a significant development for the long-gestating project, which moved to Netflix after originally being developed at Paramount Pictures. The transfer occurred following Paramount’s merger with Skydance, which allowed previous projects to seek new opportunities without facing development delays. Netflix moved quickly to reconnect with Reynolds and his Maximum Effort production company, building on their previous collaborations including “Red Notice”.yahoo

Sherman-Palladino Brings Signature Style to Classic Property

Amy Sherman-Palladino, renowned for her rapid-fire dialogue and character-driven storytelling in “Gilmore Girls” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” will direct from a screenplay she co-wrote with Hannah Marks and Linda Woolverton. The project is described as “a wholly original adventure” based on Kay Thompson’s classic book series about a precocious girl living on the “tippy-top floor” of New York’s Plaza Hotel.variety

“Eloise has been beloved for generations, from when she was first published in the 1950s through to today, when no family trip to New York City is complete without a stop at The Plaza,” said Hannah Minghella, Netflix’s Head of Feature Animation and Family Film. “It’s an honor to reintroduce this cherished character to the world with two people who share her signature mischief and charm—Amy Sherman-Palladino and Ryan Reynolds—in this bold, hilarious, and heartfelt new family film.”denofgeek

Production Set to Begin This Month

Principal photography is scheduled to commence in November 2025, potentially in London. Reynolds will produce through Maximum Effort alongside George Dewey, Ashley Fox, and Johnny Pariseau, with Linda Woolverton also serving as producer and Molly Milstein as executive producer.timesnownews

The casting of Mae Schenk as Eloise drew immediate praise from Maximum Effort executives. “When Amy introduced us to Mae Schenk, we knew instantly she was Eloise,” said Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau, co-presidents of production at Maximum Effort. “She’s got the spark, the wit, and just the right amount of mischief.”yahoo

MRC, which secured the “Eloise” rights in 2019 and has been developing the project since 2020, will oversee production in collaboration with Handmade Films. The companies will work closely with the Thompson estate, original illustrator Hilary Knight, and publisher Simon & Schuster during production.variety