Florence Pugh Set to Lead Zoe Kazan’s Limited Series Adaptation “East of Eden”

Florence Pugh. Photo by Matt Baron/Shutterstock (10521939rl)
Florence Pugh. Photo by Matt Baron/Shutterstock (10521939rl)

It’s been almost seven decades since Elia Kazan adapted East of Eden for the big screen, and his granddaughter Zoe Kazan is now following in his footsteps. She’s turning the iconic novel into a limited Netflix series, and Florence Pugh has been cast in one of the key roles.

Based on John Steinbeck’s seminal novel of the same name, East of Eden is a multi-generational tale of love and betrayal, duty and free will told through the lens of the Trask family. Steinbeck himself called it his magnum opus and described it as “the story of my country and the story of me.”

Kazan said she’s been dreaming about adapting this novel since her teenage years, and she couldn’t think of a better person to play one of its most iconic characters than Florence Pugh.

“More than anything, I have wanted to give full expression to the novel’s astonishing, singular antiheroine, Cathy Ames… Florence Pugh is our dream Cathy; I can’t imagine a more thrilling actor to bring this character to life,” said Kazan in a statement.

East of Eden joins Pugh’s packed slate, which includes Don’t Worry Darling and The Wonder, set to come out later this year. She’s also attached to Dune: Part Two, Christopher Nolan’s war drama Oppenheimer, and Zach Braff’s next film A Good Person.