Netflix Picks Up New Comedy Aunt Roxie With Johnny Rosenthal, Ryan Reynolds, and Amy Williams Attached
Netflix has officially acquired Aunt Roxie, a new comedy film created and written by Johnny Rosenthal, best known for writing Bad Santa 2 and recently selling his script Christmas in Paradise to Amazon MGM Studios. This upcoming Netflix Original is shaping up to be an interesting project, with several familiar names involved behind the scenes and a premise that leans into heartfelt chaos.
At the center of the project is Roxie, described as a carefree writer who ends up babysitting her uptight sister’s gifted children for a week. During this seven-day adventure, she finds herself juggling teenage romance, elementary school politics, and her own complicated love life. The story follows her as she stumbles, learns, and figures out what it truly means to be both a supportive aunt and a responsible adult. This plot outline was first reported by Deadline and aligns with Rosenthal’s signature, slightly unhinged comedic style.
The film also brings in major production influence through Maximum Effort, the company co-founded by Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds has built a strong relationship with Netflix through projects like 6 Underground, Red Notice, and The Adam Project, and he’s also set to appear in another Netflix title, Eloise, in the near future. Maximum Effort’s involvement signals a certain level of energy, humor, and personality that fans often associate with Reynolds-backed productions.
(Maximum Effort info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_Effort)
Alongside Reynolds, Amy Williams joins the film as a producer. Williams has previously produced titles such as Rally Caps, A Dark Foe, and Beast Within, bringing experience across different genres and production scales. Her collaboration with Rosenthal and Maximum Effort makes this film a noteworthy combination of talent.
As of now, Netflix has not revealed any cast members. No actors have been announced for the role of Roxie, her uptight sister, or the gifted kids central to the story. This absence of casting news suggests the project is still in its early stages of development.
And that’s exactly where things currently stand: Aunt Roxie remains in development. Netflix has not shared production timelines, and no filming schedules have been made public yet. Considering the lack of casting updates and the current development status, it may take several more weeks—or even months—before clearer movement is seen on the production front.
Naturally, this also means no release date has been announced. If production begins sometime in 2026, the earliest possible release window would be late 2026. However, a 2027 release seems far more realistic based on typical development-to-launch timelines for Netflix Originals. These estimates could shift depending on when casting, filming, and post-production begin.
Even with limited details, excitement is beginning to form around Aunt Roxie, especially with the creative team involved and the warm, comedic premise. As Netflix continues to expand its lineup of original films, this project could easily fit into the platform’s growing catalog of character-driven comedies.
