East of Eden Netflix is bringing John Steinbeck’s sprawling American family saga back to the screen, this time with Florence Pugh at the centre of the story.
Arriving this October, the seven-episode limited series comes from writer and showrunner Zoe Kazan, whose connection to East of Eden runs particularly deep: her grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the celebrated 1955 movie adaptation starring James Dean.
This version, however, is taking a different approach. With Pugh playing the complicated Cathy Ames alongside Christopher Abbott and Challengers star Mike Faist, the East of Eden Netflix adaptation will explore the Trask family across generations – while New Zealand provides the spectacular backdrop for early 20th-century California.
Here’s everything to know.
When is East of Eden coming to Netflix?
East of Eden will premiere globally on Netflix on October 1, 2026, with all seven episodes available to stream at once.
What is East of Eden about?
Based on John Steinbeck’s landmark 1952 novel, East of Eden follows the intertwined lives of the Trask and Hamilton families across generations, exploring themes of family, desire, and the choices between good and evil.
The new adaptation places particular focus on Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh, whose life becomes entangled with brothers Adam and Charles Trask.
The story spans decades, from around the American Civil War through to World War I, as the families eventually make their lives in California’s Salinas Valley.
Who is in the East of Eden cast?
Florence Pugh leads the series as Cathy Ames, with Christopher Abbott playing Adam Trask and Mike Faist as his brother Charles.
The wider cast includes Hoon Lee as Lee, Tracy Letts as Cyrus Trask, Martha Plimpton as Faye, Ciarán Hinds as Samuel Hamilton, Joseph Zada as Cal Trask and Joe Anders as Aron Trask.
Garth Davis, whose previous films include Lion, directed the first four episodes, while Lady Chatterley’s Lover filmmaker Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directed the final three.
Is East of Eden based on a book?
Yes. The East of Eden Netflix series is a new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel of the same name.
The book draws parallels with the biblical story of Cain and Abel while following generations of the Trask and Hamilton families in California.
It isn’t the first time Steinbeck’s novel has reached the screen. Elia Kazan directed the famous 1955 movie starring James Dean, Julie Harris and Raymond Massey.
Zoe Kazan has said her seven-part adaptation gave her the opportunity to explore the novel’s much larger story, rather than simply recreate her grandfather’s movie.
Where is East of Eden set?
Much of East of Eden is synonymous with California’s Salinas Valley, the agricultural region of Monterey County where Steinbeck himself was born.
The story follows the Trask and Hamilton families as their lives become intertwined in California, with the landscape playing an important role in Steinbeck’s sprawling family saga.
But viewers hoping those sweeping landscapes were actually shot in California might be surprised.
Where was East of Eden filmed?
Despite its American setting, East of Eden was filmed extensively in New Zealand, with locations across the country transformed into turn-of-the-century America.
Filming took place across Otago and Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island, including Ōamaru and Central Otago, where heritage architecture and dramatic rural landscapes helped recreate the world of Steinbeck’s California.
Production later moved north to Auckland, with the seaside suburb of Devonport transformed for filming. Cheltenham’s streets were dressed to resemble the Salinas Valley in the early 1900s, with modern elements removed or disguised for the period production.
The result means that one of literature’s most famous depictions of California has been recreated thousands of miles away in Aotearoa – making New Zealand one of the unexpected stars of the East of Eden Netflix adaptation.
Is there an East of Eden trailer?
Yes. Netflix has released the full trailer for East of Eden. Check it out below!