East of Eden – Florence Pugh leads Netflix’s adaptation of Steinbeck’s classic
APRIL 24 2026
There’s a lot of excitement around this one!
Netflix has confirmed production on East of Eden, a seven-episode limited series adapted from John Steinbeck’s landmark 1952 novel. Written and executive produced by Zoe Kazan, the series stars Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames, the novel’s unforgettable antiheroine, and filmed across several locations in New Zealand.
For our team at Cause and FX, the New Zealand connection makes this one feel close to home.
Filming got underway in New Zealand in October 2024, with locations including Auckland, Dunedin, and Oamaru. Production wrapped in March 2025, with the series now in post-production ahead of a 2026 release on Netflix.
The series follows the multi-generational Trask family saga, told through the perspective of Cathy Ames, described by Kazan as the novel’s “astonishing, singular antiheroine.”
The cast is stacked. Joining Pugh are Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask, Mike Faist as Charles Trask, Hoon Lee as Lee, Tracy Letts as Cyrus Trask, Martha Plimpton as Faye, Ciárán Hinds as Samuel Hamilton, Joseph Zada as Cal Trask, and Joe Anders as Aron Trask.
Garth Davis directs the first four episodes and serves as executive producer, with Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directing the final three.
The adaptation carries a meaningful family thread. Zoe Kazan’s grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the beloved 1955 film starring James Dean.
“It is Steinbeck’s writing, personal, shocking, profound, and free, that has kept me enthralled by East of Eden since I first read the book as a young teen,” Kazan told Netflix.
East of Eden is set to release on Netflix in 2026. Keep an eye on Netflix Tudum for updates.
