Zoe Kazan’s ‘East of Eden,’ starring and executive produced by Florence Pugh, coming to Netflix

Posted by Brandy McDonnell on Sep 14, 2026 | 0 comments

Adapted by Zoe Kazan, the seven-episode limited series “East of Eden,” starring and executive produced by Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh, debuts Oct. 1 on Netflix.

Kazan’s modern interpretation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 Nobel Prize-winning novel explores the multigenerational saga of the Trask family, focusing new attention on its indelible, enigmatic antihero, Cathy Ames, played by Pugh (“We Live in Time,” “Dune 2,” “Oppenheimer,” “Little Women”).

Set among the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, Steinbeck’s epic novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families — the Trasks and the Hamiltons — whose generations reenact the biblical fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

A writer, producer and Primetime Emmy-nominated actor, Kazan (“Olive Kitteridge,” “The Big Sick,” “The Plot Against America,” “The Deuce”) has deep family ties to “East of Eden:” Her grandfather, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Elia Kazan (“On the Waterfront”), directed the 1955 film adaptation of the novel. His acclaimed film stars James Dean and earned Jo Van Fleet a best supporting actress Oscar for her turn as Cathy.

The daughter of screenwriters Nicholas Kazan (“Reversal of Fortune”) and Robin Swicord (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), both Oscar nominees, Zoe Kazan wrote and executive produced all seven episodes of the new series, serving as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Jeb Stuart (“Liberator,” “Vikings: Valhalla,” “The Fugitive”). Her other screenwriting credits include the independent films “Ruby Sparks” and “Wildlife.”

“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,” said Peter Friedlander, Netflix’s vice president of scripted series for U.S. and Canada in a statement.

With Pugh as the lead, it sounds like Zoe Kazan’s limited series adaptation of “East of Eden” will center Cathy more as a main character rather than in a supporting role.

“The movie isn’t a super faithful adaptation of the small part of the book that it is adapting,” Kazan told the Netflix blog Tudum. “What I felt was the whole epic story is an opportunity to explore, to fall in love with all these characters.”

Set the early 1900s, the series depicts Cathy as “a fiercely independent woman,” who “drives a rift between two brothers, igniting a saga that unfolds across two generations.” Those brothers are Adam Trask, played by Christopher Abbott (“Poor Things,” “Catch-22”), and Charles Trask, played by BAFTA-nominated actor Mike Faist (“Challengers,” “West Side Story”). Primetime Emmy-nominated actor Tracy Letts (“Lady Bird,” “Little Women”) plays their father, Cyrus Trask.

Framed by the American Civil War and World War I, the family saga also involves Samuel Hamilton (Oscar nominee Ciarán Hinds, “Belfast,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), an Irishman who made his way to California, where he raised a family and got to know the land; Lee (Hoon Lee, “Warrior,” “Banshee”), a Chinese American whose intellect is surpassed only by his ability to give care to those who need it most; and Faye (Primetime Emmy winner Martha Plimpton, “The Good Wife,” “The Goonies”), a brothel owner whose open heart might lead to her downfall.

Primetime Emmy nominee Garth Davis (“Lion,” “Alice”) directed the first four episodes of the series and serves as an executive producer.

Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre (“The Mustang,” “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “The Act,” “Mrs. America,” “Impeachment”) directs the final three episode of the limited series, along with serving as an executive producer.

Antoine Douiahy (“Archive 81”) and Zack Hayden (“Saint X”) also are executive producers. Fifth Season and Anonymous Content are producing.

“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. 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,” Kazan said in a statement. “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.”

-BAM

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