Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn have collaborated on a new series called “Penelope,” which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and has been picked up by Netflix. The show is centered around a teen runaway and is co-written by Eslyn and Duplass. Megan Stott, known for her role in “Little Fires Everywhere,” leads the series as 16-year-old Penelope, who leaves her family to live in the wilderness of Washington State. The show explores themes of survivalism and coming-of-age as Penelope forges a new life for herself.
The series features “Euphoria” actor Austin Abrams in the pilot and is independently produced by Duplass Brothers Productions, with Jay Duplass and Shuli Harel as executive producers. Eslyn, a directorial debutante with “Biosphere,” is also the showrunner and director of “Penelope.”
The inspiration for “Penelope” came from Duplass’ daughters’ love for the show “Alone,” prompting him and Eslyn to research the outdoors by camping and taking survival courses. The eight-episode series also aims to reflect stepping away from technology dependence in the Gen Z generation.
Mark Duplass previously commented at Sundance 2021 on the trend of niche projects finding homes at various streaming platforms. He emphasized the importance of passionate viewers rather than mass appeal for the success of such projects.
“Penelope” is set to premiere on Netflix on September 24.
