Production on Netflix's East of Eden will start late in 2024. Another classic Western frontier tale comes live onto the screens, as a Richard Yates-esque family favorite adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden.
Zoe Kazan is set to write and is also the executive producer of the Netflix limited series, alongside star and co-producer Florence Pugh.
The series will be a seven-part limited adaptation of the classic novel. The book was last made into a movie by Zoe’s grandfather, Elia Kazan in 1955. Steinbeck inspired Zoe Kazan and has announced why she has taken the adaptation of East of Eden for her new series. Speaking with Deadline she said;
“I fell in love with East of Eden when I first read it in my teens,” she added, “Since then, adapting Steinbeck’s novel — the great, sprawling, three-generational entirety of it — has been my dream.”
Who are the cast of East of Eden?
The limited series is based on the Nobel Prize winner's 1952 work and tells the story of the multi-generational Trask family through the eyes of Cathy Ames, a strong female character played by Florence Pugh.
According to an already-released list, some of the characters confirmed to appear in the series include Christopher Abbott in the role of Adam Trask, Mike Faist as Charles Trask, and Hoon Lee as Lee.
At this point, the show is still very much in the early stages, but when the dates for the filming commences the roles for even more other participants shall be added.
What is the story of Steinbeck's East of Eden?
The plot of Steinbeck’s novel is set in California's Salinas Valley. It tells the story of two families: the Trasks and the Hamiltons, whose lives generally mirror the fortunes and adversities of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.
The novel spans the American Civil War to the end of World War I, focusing on the conflicts between two generations of brothers.
First, there's Adam Trask, the gentle kind man, and his wild brother Charles. He marries Cathy Ames, a former sex worker who is manipulative. She betrays him on their wedding night.
After the twin boys are born, Cathy shoots Adam and leaves him for her old life. The twins grow up to be Aron, fair-haired and charming but obstinate, and Caleb, dark-haired and clever.
The brotherly rivalry only escalates as the two sons seek to outdo each other for Cathy's approval, and at last, when Caleb tells Aron the truth about their mother's previous life, he enlists and ships out to France where he is killed.
How much will Zoe Kazan adapt from the novels for her limited Netflix series?
The novel mainly deals with the tensions and personal struggles within the family drama of the Trasks: the marriage of Cathy and Adam and her sons, Cal and Aron.
According to Variety, the filmmaking adaptation will tell only a selected part of the story from the novel and will omit the final portion when Cal and Aron are teenagers. The series will focus on themes like trauma, repair, love, betrayal, duty, and free will against the milieu of strong historical forces.
The creative team involved in Netflix adaptation of East of Eden
Garth Davis will direct the first four episodes of East of Eden and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre will direct the last three episodes of the series. Jeb Stuart, along with Kazan serve as the show's co-executive producers and co-showrunners.
Tune in to Soap Central to stay updated with the latest information about the upcoming series.
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