Talk about generational inheritance. First announced back in 2022, we’re finally get a first official look at Zoe Kazan‘s vision of “East of Eden.” Kazan, quite notably, is following in her grandfather Elia Kazan’s footsteps and adapting John Steinback’s classic American novel for the screen. This time, however, the story is going the limited series route on Netflix.
The series stars Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Ciarán Hinds, Martha Plimpton, Joseph Zada, and Joe Anders. Billed as a “fresh interpretation of Steinbeck’s masterpiece,” the limited series “explores the timeless story of good & evil through the multigenerational saga of the Trask family and its chilling, indelible antihero, Cathy Ames.”
When the series was first announced, Kazan shared, “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 anti-heroine, Cathy Ames. Florence Pugh is our dream Cathy; I can’t imagine a more thrilling actor to bring this character to life.”
In the first official teaser for the series, we get a look at that vision, by way of Pugh’s steely voiceover and sweeping scenes of some of the high (and very low) points in Cathy’s life, many of which will feel familiar to fans of the book in particular. In a recent interview with IndieWire, Abbott, who plays Cathy’s husband Cal Trask, said, “Florence is an actress [where] even on the surface the character might be considered an evil person, you always still try to find the heart and the humanity in that person. With this version, there’s a lot more to work with for that character. Obviously way more than in the movie version.”
In addition to her writing duties, Kazan serves as co-showrunner and executive producer, with Jeb Stuart on as co-showrunner and executive producer as well. Garth Davis is also an EP and directed Episodes 1 through 4, with fellow EP Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directing Episodes 5 through 7. Other EPs include Antoine Douiahy, Zack Hayden, Steve Golin, David Levine, Jill Arthur, and Pugh.
Elia Kazan first adapted “East of Eden” for Warner Bros. in 1955, with James Dean starring in his first major screen role. Pugh’s role of antiheroine Cathy Ames was portrayed by Jo Van Fleet in the film, and Van Fleet later won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her turn in the role. Jane Seymour later took on the part for an ABC miniseries adaptation in 1982 and received a Best Actress Golden Globe.
Check out the first teaser for “East of Eden” below. The series will hit Netflix sometime this fall.
