Florence Pugh to Star In East of Eden Series Adaptation at Netflix

Florence Pugh to Star In East of Eden Series Adaptation at Netflix

Netflix has announced that Florence Pugh will star in the upcoming series adaptation of the Josh Steinbeck novel, East of Eden. The adaptation will come from Emmy-nominated actress Zoe Kazan, with development in the early stages and Anonymous Content and Endeavor Content co-producing the series.

The classic novel by Steinbeck was published in 1952 and told a generational tale that loosely adapts the biblical tale of Cain and Abel. The novel’s description reads:

“Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.”

East of Eden was also previously adapted by Warner Bros. and Kazan’s grandfather, Elia Kazan. The 1955 film starred James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, and Burl Ives. Pugh will be stepping into the role of Cathy Ames, who was portrayed by Jo Van Fleet in the film which earned her a Best Supporting Actress award.

Kazan spoke of her love of the novel for years and her high praise for Pugh in the starring role, saying:

“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.

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 twenty-first-century audience.”

East of Eden still looks to bring together the rest of the cast and a director to helm the series. Stay tuned as more updates and a release date become available.

Source: Netflix