Picture: Liz Cadogan / Facebook
In 2022, Netflix acquired the rights to John Steinbeck’s classic novel East of Eden, with Florence Pugh cast as its lead. With filming wrapped in early 2025 and the series deep into post-production, the series is due to be released in early 2026. Here’s everything we know about East of Eden on Netflix.
Editors Note: This article was first published in June 2022 and has been updated with additional details.
Actress and writer Zoe Kazan is writing and producing the Netflix miniseries. Her writing credits include Wildlife and Ruby Sparks. Kazan’s grandfather, Elia Kazan, also adapted East of Eden in 1955 as a feature film.
Zoe Kazan said in a press release:
“I fell in love with East of Eden when I first read it, in my teens. Since then, adapting Steinbeck’s novel — the great, sprawling, three-generational entirety of it — has been my dream. More than anything, I have wanted to give full expression to the novel’s astonishing, singular antiheroine, Cathy Ames,”
Anonymous Content and Endeavor Content are co-producing the series as part of a partnership unveiled in March 2022. Here’s everything else we know about Netflix’s East of Eden:
What’s the plot of East of Eden?
Netflix’s East of Eden is an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic 1952 novel of the same name. The book was previously adapted as a movie by Zoe Kazan’s grandfather Elia Kazan back in 1955.
Here’s the plot synopsis for East of Eden:
“Set in the rich farmland of the Salinas Valley, California, this often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – whose generations hopelessly re-enact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Spanning the period between the American Civil War and the end of World War I, the story highlights the conflicts of two generations of brothers; the first being the kind, gentle Adam Trask and his wild brother Charles. Adam eventually marries Cathy Ames, an evil, manipulative, and beautiful prostitute; she betrays him, joining Charles on the very night of their wedding.
Later, after giving birth to twin boys, she shoots Adam and leaves him to return to her former profession. In the shadow of this heritage Adam raises their sons, the fair-haired, winning, yet intractable Aron, and the dark, clever Caleb. This second generation of brothers vie for their father’s approval. In bitterness Caleb reveals the truth about their mother to Aron, who then joins the army and is killed in France.”
Who is cast in East of Eden?
Since the adaptation was first announced, Florence Pugh has been confirmed to play series lead Cathy Ames. The actress has been incredibly busy over the past few years, with the most significant projects being Dune: Part Two, Oppenheimer, The Boy and the Heron, and reprising her role as Yelena Belova in multiple Marvel projects.
Zoe Kazan commented on Pugh’s casting:
“Florence Pugh is our dream Cathy; I can’t imagine a more thrilling actor to bring this character to life. Writing this limited series over the last two years has been the creative highpoint of my life. I hope that with our partners at Netflix, Anonymous Content, and Endeavor Content, we can do justice to this material — and shed new light on it for a 21st century audience.”
It took a long time for an update, but confirmed to be joining Pugh in the cast are:
- Martha Plimpton (The Goonies) as Faye.
- Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones) as Samuel Hamilton.
- Tracy Letts (Lady Bird) as Cyrus Trask.
- Joe Anders (1917) as Aron Trask
- Joseph Zada (The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping) as Cal Trask.
- Christopher Abbott (Poor Things) as Adam Trask.
- Mike Faist (Challengers) as Charles Trask.
- Hoon Lee (Warrior) as Lee.
- Brad McMurrary (Play Dirty) as Joe Valery.
- Costa D’Angelo (Crazy Fun Park) as Young Adam Trask.
What’s the production status of East of Eden?
Development
Filming Scheduled
Filming Ongoing
Post-Production
Filming for East of Eden began in New Zealand in mid-October 2024, with locations including Dunedin and Oamaru. Production wrapped by March 2025, and the series has been in post-production for several months.
Picture: Oamaru LIVE / Facebook
Picture: Oamaru LIVE / Facebook
Picture: Oamaru LIVE / Facebook
Picture: Oamaru LIVE / Facebook
Picture: Oamaru LIVE / Facebook
Picture: Oamaru LIVE / Facebook
Episode Count and Titles for East of Eden
The series will consist of seven episodes:
- Part 1: Genesis
- Part 2: Cathy
- Part 3: In the Valley
- Part 4: Kate
- Part 5: Departure
- Part 6: The Great Try
- Part 7: East of Eden
Garth Davis directs the first four episodes, and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directs episodes five to seven.
What’s the Netflix release date for East of Eden?
According to The New Zealand Herald, East of Eden is aiming for an early 2026 release. This means the series could be released anytime between January and April 2026.
However, as the series has not yet been announced for January 2026, we expect it to be released between February and April 2026.
For now, we await further updates from Netflix.
Are you looking forward to watching East of Eden on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
