Rising Hollywood Star to Play Iconic Role in Netflix’s Next Big Hit!

Netflix continues to make waves with its diverse projects, consistently turning popular novels into series. This time, the streaming giant is revisiting an older but equally revered classic.

A Fresh Take on “East of Eden”

According to Deadline, Netflix is set to create a series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden,” a Nobel Prize-winning novel first published in September 1952. The book, often considered Steinbeck’s most ambitious work, narrates the intricate lives of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons.

This novel was previously adapted into a feature film by Elia Kazan in 1955, which won the Golden Globe for Best Drama the following year. The film featured James Dean, an icon of American cinema who tragically died at the age of 24, the same year “East of Eden” was released.

Nearly seventy years later, Zoe Kazan, the granddaughter of Elia Kazan, is set to write and produce a new series adaptation of “East of Eden” for Netflix, in collaboration with Jeb Stuart (Vikings: Valhalla).

The series’ plot will focus on multiple generations of the Trask family in the Salinas Valley, California, detailing the rivalry between two sons vying for the attention of their farmer father.

The New James Dean Is…

Taking over James Dean’s iconic role of Carl Trask is Mike Faist, a prominent figure in the new wave of Hollywood actors. The 32-year-old actor is known for his performances in the series Panic and in films like Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders,” and Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.”

He will be joined by Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Little Women, Oppenheimer), Christopher Abbott (Poor Things), and Hoon Lee (Banshee, Warrior). The seven-episode series will be directed by Garth Davis (Lion, Top of the Lake) and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre (Lady Chatterley’s Lover).

According to Deadline, this limited series will delve into themes from the novel such as trauma, resilience, love, betrayal, duty, and free will. “Bringing this family saga to life, I couldn’t help but feel the resonance of my own familial connection to the material,” said Zoe Kazan.

“Yet, it’s Steinbeck’s writing—personal, shocking, profound, and liberated—that has captivated me since I first read the book as a teenager,” she added.