NEED TO KNOW
Ryan Reynolds is helping Netflix bring a classic children’s book to life in a new movie.
On Monday, Nov. 3, PEOPLE confirmed that Reynolds, 49, has been cast in the streamer’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the 1950s children’s series Eloise alongside newcomer Mae Schenk, who will portray the movie’s lead role. Reynolds, who has not appeared in a movie since his 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, will be playing an original villain character in the movie.
A plot description has not yet been shared, but the story is “a wholly original adventure based on the beloved children’s book series written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight,” according to Netflix. Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of popular television series like Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, will direct the new movie; she is also cowriting its script with Hannah Marks and Linda Woolverton.
The Eloise novels were written by author Thompson, who died at 88 in 1998. The series follows Eloise, a young girl who lives at the top of New York City’s Plaza Hotel and features a variety of characters in the girl’s life — including her nanny, her pet pug Weenie and a pet turtle named Skipperdee. Thompson and Knight, the illustrator, published four books — Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown-ups, Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime and Eloise in Moscow — during the 1950s. A fifth book, titled Eloise Takes a Bawth, was published in 2002.
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
“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,” Hannah Minghella, Netflix’s head of feature animation and family films, said in a statement.
“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.”
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Reynolds, who has made press rounds recently to promote a new documentary he produced titled John Candy: I Like Me, is also a producer on the new children’s book adaptation. Filming for the Eloise movie is scheduled to begin this month, according to Netflix.
Netflix’s adaptation of Eloise does not yet have a release date; no other casting announcements have been made. Aside from Eloise, Reynolds has a number of projects in the works, including a voice role in an upcoming movie titled Animal Friends that will pair him with Jason Momoa and Aubrey Plaza, among others.
