According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has greenlit the romance series East of Eden for a seven-episode limited series. The series is based on John Steinbeck’s (Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat) 1952 novel, originally adapted into a film in 1955. Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks, She Said), granddaughter of Elia Kazan (On the Waterfront, Viva Zapata!), who directed the film, will be adapting the novel into a limited-time series. Kazan will also serve as co-showrunner with Jeb Stuart.
“In the process of bringing this family saga to life, the resonance of my own familial connection to the material has not been lost on me,” Kazan said in a statement. “But it is Steinbeck’s writing — personal, shocking, profound and free — that has kept me enthralled to East of Eden since I first read the book as a young teen. Working on this has been the greatest joy, and I am thrilled by the cast and crew we are assembling — and deeply grateful to Netflix, Fifth Season and Anonymous Content for their support.”
Peter Friedlander (Mission to Mars, Wormwood), vice president of scripted series U.S. and Canada for Netflix, added, “Zoe’s thoughtful and artistic vision pays homage to her grandfather’s revered film adaptation while beautifully honoring and introducing new audiences to a true canon of American literature. She is an inspiring, creative force and we can not wait for everyone to see what she and Jeb, alongside the brilliant cast led by Florence Pugh, bring to screen.”
The cast will include Florence Pugh (The Falling, The Commuter) as Cathy Ames, Christopher Abbott (It C0mes at Night, Poor Things) as Adam Trask, Mike Faist (West Side Story, Challengers) as Charles Trask, Hoon Lee (The Monkey King, Warrior) as Lee and many more yet to be announced.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the series has been in development since 2022, when Netflix landed the bidding war. Pugh, who has been attached to the series since the start of production, will also serve as executive producer.