Ryan Reynolds and Mae Schenk Team Up for Netflix’s Fresh Take on Kay Thompson’s Eloise

Netflix is taking another swing at a childhood staple, and I am absolutely not mad about it. Eloise is heading to live action at the streamer, with a fresh take that is not a straight page-to-screen retelling. Think: classic character, brand-new caper.

So, what are they making?

The project is a live-action film inspired by Kay Thompson's Eloise books (the ones Hilary Knight illustrated), but the story itself is new. No plot specifics yet, but here are the key pieces that are locked in: Mae Schenk is playing Eloise, and Ryan Reynolds is the movie's original-for-the-film villain. Yep, Reynolds as the bad guy. I am listening.

Who is doing what

• Director: Amy Sherman-Palladino
• Writers: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Hannah Marks, Linda Woolverton
• Cast: Mae Schenk (Eloise), Ryan Reynolds (a new, original villain)
• Producers: Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, Ashley Fox, Johnny Pariseau (for Maximum Effort); Linda Woolverton (also producing)
• Executive Producer: Molly Milstein (for Maximum Effort)
• Involved companies and rights partners: Netflix; Maximum Effort; MRC Film; the Thompson Estate; Handmade Films
• Based on: Kay Thompson's Eloise novels, illustrated by Hilary Knight

How this landed at Netflix

The project used to be set up at Paramount. Then came the Skydance merger. After that deal, Paramount put the Eloise rights on the market. Netflix moved fast to grab them, reportedly with the specific aim of building the movie around Reynolds. It is a very 2025 move: acquire the IP, attach the star, let a signature filmmaker (in this case, Sherman-Palladino) put a spin on it.

What the players are saying

Netflix is selling this as a big, mischievous family film, which tracks. Hannah Minghella, who oversees Feature Animation and Family Film at Netflix, pointed to Eloise's decades-long appeal and the Plaza Hotel connection, and specifically framed this combo of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Ryan Reynolds as a tone match for the character.

'Eloise has been beloved for generations, from the 1950s through today, when no family trip to New York City is complete without a stop at The Plaza. It is an honor to reintroduce this cherished character with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Ryan Reynolds in a bold, hilarious, heartfelt new family film,' said Hannah Minghella, Netflix's Head of Feature Animation and Family Film.

MRC Film says they have been working with the Thompson Estate and Handmade Films for a while to get Eloise in front of a wider audience, and now they are teaming with Maximum Effort, Sherman-Palladino, and Netflix to make it happen.

On the casting front, Maximum Effort's Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau say Amy Sherman-Palladino brought Mae Schenk to them, and she immediately felt like Eloise to the team: sharp, funny, and just mischievous enough. They also called out their partnership with MRC and Netflix as they introduce her to audiences.

Quick take

Amy Sherman-Palladino doing a fast-talking, chaos-friendly Eloise feels exactly right, and Reynolds as an original villain is a fun curveball. If you grew up with those pink-and-black books or have kids who treat hotels like obstacle courses, this one just climbed the watchlist.