Netflix’s East of Eden: Everything we know so far

East of Eden is Netflix's upcoming adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1952 novel of the same name. At the time of the original novel's release, John Steinbeck considered it his magnum opus and the most ambitious story he'd written up to that point.

In 1955, East of Eden was loosely adapted into a feature film starring James Dean, with Elia Kazan as the director. Almost 30 years later, his granddaughter, Zoe Kazan, is writing and executive producing another adaptation of East of Eden, this time as a 7-episode Netflix limited series.

Zoe Kazan initially gained prominence in Hollywood for her acting career, with roles in series such as The Plot Against America, The Deuce, and Clockbait.

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Zoe Kazan follows in her grandfather's footsteps in adapting East of Eden

Zoe Kazan will be helming the new adaptation of East of Eden after her grandfather did the same in 1955. Speaking to Netflix on September 27, 2024, she shared her sense of responsibility to the source material, as well as her family legacy:

"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 by East of Eden since I first read the book as a young teen.”

Peter Friedlander, the Vice President of Scripted Series at Netflix, had this to say about Zoe Kazan:

"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."

The story of East of Eden was inspired by John Steinbeck's interpretation of the Biblical Book of Genesis, specifically the tale of Cain and Abel. It is a sprawling epic tale covering the multigenerational evolution of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons. The novel's plot covers a lengthy period, from the American Civil War in 1862 to the last years of the First World War in 1918.

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Cast of East of Eden and the novel's storyline explored

Netflix's East of Eden will star Florence Pugh in the leading role of Cathy Ames. She is also going to executive produce the miniseries. Other leading actors in the upcoming series are Christopher Abbott, who plays Adam Trask; Mike Faist, who plays Charles Trask; and Hoon Lee, who plays the Trask family servant named Lee.

Garth Davis will direct the series episodes for episodes 1-4, and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre will direct episodes 5-7.

The novel's storyline portrays Cathy as someone stuck in a loveless marriage with her husband, Adam Trask, to the extent of trying to get an abortion without his knowledge. After giving birth to twin boys, Cathy runs out on the family by shooting Adam in the shoulder.

She moves to the city of Salinas, where she becomes a prostitute while secretly scheming to take over the brothel she works at for herself. She eventually does so by murdering the original madame, and her establishment starts gathering blackmail material on the rich and powerful.

Adam's twin sons, meanwhile, are raised without knowing their mother. Aron and Caleb, the twins, are named in a deliberate reference to the Biblical Cain and Abel. While Aron is dutiful and reserved, Caleb is more rebellious and adventurous. Caleb is the first to discover his mother is alive and recoils from her when she tries to corrupt him into her way of thinking.

After the First World War outbreak, Caleb gets into business with Samuel Hamilton, and the two exploit a consequent market shortage of beans by taking beans grown in Salinas Valley and selling them in Europe for a sizeable markup. He hopes this will impress his father, only for him to be rebuffed for the unethical manner in which he made his money.

This prompts Caleb to introduce Aron to his mother as an act of spite. Irrevocably shattered by Aron's rejection of her, she eventually signs her estate away and commits su*cide. Aron enlists in the war to escape his demons and dies on the battlefield, which leaves his father, Adam, bedridden from a stroke.

Caleb eventually grows regretful and seeks out his father's forgiveness. At the urging of Lee, Adam does so, leaving him with the parting advice of the Hebrew word "Timshel", roughly translated as "thou mayest".

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East of Eden is currently being developed as a Netflix miniseries.