Ryan Reynolds To Star In Netflix's Eloise Adaptation As Villain

Actor Ryan Reynolds has lined up his next film at Netflix, which will be an adaptation of the classic book series Eloise by Kay Thompson. The actor is best known for playing the fan-favorite Marvel superhero Deadpool and has appeared in romantic comedies like The Proposal, but he’s also starred in numerous family-friendly films, including The Croods, Turbo, and Detective Pikachu.

Now, Reynolds is set to star in a live-action family movie that adapts the iconic Eloise book series, with Mae Schenk cast as the titular character and Reynolds as the villain.

Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creator Amy Sherman-Palladino is helming the project as director and writer, and Hannah Marks and Linda Woolverton are on board as co-writers.

Along with joining the cast, Reynolds will also produce Eloise via his production company, Maximum Effort. While Netflix’s version is based on the book series, the streamer’s film with Reynolds will be an “original adventure.”

In a statement, Hannah Minghella, the head of feature animation and family film at Netflix, said that “it’s an honor” to bring Eloise back to life for a new generation and called the upcoming film “bold, hilarious and heartfelt.”

The executive added that Reynolds and Sherman-Palladino share Eloise’s “signature mischief and charm,” which make them the perfect creative talents to lead Netflix’s Eloise in front of and behind the camera. Check out the statement below:

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. 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.

Ryan Reynolds is no stranger to Netflix, having starred in The Adam Project, 6 Underground, and Red Notice. As for Schenk, she has the right amount of “spark,” “wit,” and “mischief” to play the character of Eloise, according to Maximum Effort executives Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau, and they knew “instantly” that she should be in the film.

When Amy introduced us to Mae Schenk, we knew instantly she was Eloise. She’s got the spark, the wit, and just the right amount of mischief. We’re so excited to introduce her to the world with our friends at MRC and Netflix.

Eloise, the main character in Thompson’s children’s books that were released in the 1950s, lives in the Plaza Hotel in New York City and gets herself involved in various adventures with her nanny, dog, and turtle.

The book series includes Eloise: A Book for Precocious Grown-Ups, Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime, Eloise in Moscow, and Eloise Takes a Bawth (the latter book was published after the author’s death).

Eloise has been adapted into movies before. Eloise at the Plaza and the particularly quotable Eloise at Christmastime both aired on ABC in 2003. Three years later, Starz Kids & Family aired an animated show called Me, Eloise! that produced 13 episodes.

Since then, other adaptations of Eloise have tried to get off the ground, to no avail. But in 2020, production company MRC finally landed the rights and has been developing a film ever since, with Netflix, Schenk, Reynolds, and Sherman-Palladino ready to bring the classic children’s character to life once more.

Netflix is working with Thompson’s estate as well as the original illustrator, Hilary Knight, which means that the streamer’s Eloise film will likely stay true to what made the books so special in the first place.