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In an effort to boost its production of dramatic limited series, Netflix has acquired the adaptation rights to John Steinbeck’s classic novel East of Eden. The series will be produced by Zoe Kazan and will star Florence Pugh. Netflix fought hard for this one in a very competitive bidding war according to Deadline.
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 back in 1955, but 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. 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 its conception, East of Eden will star Florence Pugh, whose recent credits include such projects as Black Widow and Midsommar. Pugh will also star in the upcoming Hollywood juggernauts Dune: Part II and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as well as her upcoming Netflix movie The Wonder.
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.”
What’s the production status of East of Eden?
According to Deadline, the project is still in development. This is the stage when scripts are being written and revised. Our best guess is that East of Eden will enter pre-production either later this year or early next year.
How many episodes will be in East of Eden?
Netflix hasn’t disclosed how many episodes this limited series will have, but six to eight would be a good guess as that’s the usual Netflix standard these days.
What’s the Netflix release date for East of Eden?
Netflix hasn’t announced any dates for East of Eden, but considering its very early development stage, we can probably expect only a 2023 or 2024 release date.