Netflix's 'East of Eden' adaptation trims novel, adds new production details
The seven-episode series, released on Netflix on Oct. 1, adapts Steinbeck’s novel with several cuts, new characters and extensive set construction, while creator Zoe Kazan draws on family legacy and original letters for inspiration.
Netflix released all seven episodes of its adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel "East of Eden" on Oct. 1. The series, written by Zoe Kazan and starring Florence Pugh as Cathy, follows the novel’s multigenerational story but omits roughly half of the source material, including most of the Hamilton family and a planned episode focused on the Chinese-American character Lee.
Kazan, whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film version, based her screenplay on Steinbeck’s letters to his editor, which describe Cathy as both a monster and a familiar figure. She moved the novel’s opening line, "I believe there are monsters born in this world to human parents," from the narrator to Pugh’s Cathy, allowing the character to introduce herself.
Production took place on a purpose-built farm in New Zealand’s North Island, where sets were constructed from scratch, vegetables were planted, and artificial bird droppings were added to convey abandonment. After filming, the structures were removed for insurance reasons.
Actor Mike Faist, who plays Charles, performed childhood scenes alongside Christopher Abbott (Adam) to create a shared emotional memory for their adult interactions. Faist also improvised a key dinner-scene moment by biting an apple and kicking a basket, eliciting a genuine reaction from Pugh.
"I believe there are monsters born in this world to human parents," Kazan said, noting the line was taken directly from Chapter 8 of Steinbeck’s book.
"The whole Hamilton family isn’t really in the series," co-showrunner Jeb Stuart confirmed, explaining that only Samuel and a few close relatives appear.
"Lee’s story was cut because building a 1912 San Francisco set for a single episode wasn’t financially viable," Kazan told Variety.
The series’ final episode is titled "Timshel," a Hebrew word meaning "thou mayest," which Kazan and Steinbeck interpret as an expression of free will and the possibility of choosing one’s moral path.
Behind the scenes, Kazan reportedly drafted the series outline on the back of an old parking ticket during a flight, and Faist spent weekends on the New Zealand set without modern devices to immerse himself in his character’s era.