Eloise Website - Eloise in the Movies

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June 15, 1999
The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company (TibECo) announced today its expansion into family films and has acquired the motion picture and allied rights to Kay Thompson and Hillary Knight's classic series of Eloise books.

The announcement was made today by Kenn Viselman, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company, who added that noted producer Denise Di Novi, will partner with his company on the development of the Eloise property into a motion picture. The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company is one of the premiere children's entertainment companies and won four of the most coveted national awards at last week's New York-based Licensing Show. (Press Release Newswire)

June 16, 1999
Thanks to some aggressive deal-making by the folks who brought you "Teletubbies," "Eloise," the popular children’s book heroine created by the late author-actress Kay Thompson, will be the subject of two big screen movies, along with a possible TV series and many merchandising items.

The deal was struck between "Eloise" publisher Simon & Schuster, the estate of Kay Thompson, who died last July in her nineties, and Itsy-Bitsy entertainment, the Manhattan-based company that holds North American merchandising rights to the British kid TV phenomenon "Teletubbies." The producer attached to the deal is Denice DiNovi, who co-produced 1996’s "James and the Giant Peach" and the well-regarded 1994 film version of "Little Women."

As fans of the series know, Eloise is a spunky, precocious 6-year-old who lives with her pets and her nanny in Manhattan’s pricey Plaza Hotel. The first book was published in 1955. It became so popular that the Plaza began drawing tourists who wanted to meet Eloise; a portrait of the character still hangs in the lobby.

Entertainment industry trade publications estimate Itsy-Bitsy shelled out around $3 million, plus a fat slice of merchandising money. The upstart company’s procurement of the rights is considered a major coup; Rival suitors courting Simon & Schuster and Thompson’s estate included such heavy hitters as Columbia Pictures, Universal, Warner Bros. and actor-producer Tom Hanks.

One wonders what Thompson would make of the hubbub. She halted publication of the books five years after the first volume was published because she felt that spin-off items were of poor quality and that the character’s charm was being diluted by commercialism.

Itsy-Bitsy chairman and CEO Ken Viselman assures ALL TV that Eloise fans have nothing to fear.

"Kay Thompson had those books taken off the market because she had a justified fear," Viselman says. As a sometime movie actress, Thompson "understood the (Hollywood) system very well. By and large, Hollywood has not proven itself to be a good partner to creators."

The two films will be shot back to back in the near future, so that the child actress picked to play Eloise will not outgrow the part between productions. Viselman says he’s aiming to get the first film in theatres by the fall of 2000 or spring of 2001. An air date for the TV series hasn’t been set yet. (Matt Seitz, Star Ledger)

October 13, 1999
Eloise and Eloise in Paris to Begin Production in 2000

The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company (TibECo) announced that it has lined up its key production team for the first Eloise movie.

The announcement, which took place at New York City's Plaza hotel on Tuesday night during the Eloise Pink and Black Ball, was made by Kenn Viselman, Chairman on the Board of The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company. Mr. Viselman was joined on the stage by noted producer Denise Di Novi, of Di Novi Pictures who will be producing the films, and Don Gold, President of ON-Screen Entertainment Feature Films for The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company, as well as the newly announced writing team of David Stem and David Weiss. The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company is one of the world's premiere children's entertainment companies. (Press Release Newswire)

The above mentioned plans never happened. The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company went out of business.

July 18, 2002

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Eloise, the garrulous little girl who lives in New York's Plaza Hotel, is headed to the screen for the first time.

ABC is close to greenlighting two movies based on Kay Thompson's classic series of books to be executive produced by Denise Di Novi and Patrick Meehan, chairman of Handmade Films.

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Note: this became a Made for TV movie and this section will be updated shortly

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