Zoe Kazan discusses adaptations made for Netflix's East of Eden series
Writer Zoe Kazan explained the cuts and additions required to condense Steinbeck's novel into a seven-episode Netflix series, noting the impact on the Hamilton storyline and the series' effect on book sales.
Writer Zoe Kazan said adapting John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden for Netflix required significant trimming of the original material. The seven-episode series focuses on the Trask brothers, Adam and Charles, and the arrival of the enigmatic Cathy, portrayed by Florence Pugh. Kazan explained that much of the Hamilton family narrative, which serves as the novel's moral centre, was omitted because it could not fit within the limited runtime.
"There are things I had to leave behind that hurt my heart – there’s so much of the Hamiltons’ storyline that’s not in there, and the Hamiltons are some of my favourite characters in the book," Kazan told The Independent.
The Hamilton patriarch, Samuel, appears in several episodes, played by Ciarán Hinds. Kazan had originally envisioned an eight-episode format to accommodate more of the source material. She also noted that the series has boosted sales of Steinbeck's book by about 250 percent.
"If this series sends people back to the book, wonderful. If they don’t want to watch the series, because they love the book so much, fine. I understand what it’s like to love a book that much," she said.
A new element not present in the 1955 film directed by Kazan’s grandfather, Elia Kazan, is the character Lee, a wise servant who assists Adam Trask. Lee is portrayed by actor Hoon Lee. Kazan described the casting process as straightforward after receiving a tape from Florence Pugh.
"I sent Florence his tape when it came in, and we just – both of us – it was so clear," Kazan recalled. Pugh added that the audition tape made the choice obvious.