Rolling hills bathed in golden light, winds whispering through tall grasses, and a sense of longing that seems to linger in every shadow. Reading East of Eden transports viewers into the heart of John Steinbeck’s legendary Salinas Valley.

The Netflix adaptation promises to capture the sweeping drama of family, ambition, and moral conflict, bringing to life a world where every choice feels charged with history and emotion. 

How does this highly anticipated limited series adapt Steinbeck’s classic? Surely with a fresh yet reverent lens, promising a richly layered portrayal through the locations. 

The creators of East of Eden transformed New Zealand’s diverse terrain into a believable recreation of John Steinbeck’s California. Streets once quiet in Dunedin’s city center became bustling period‑style towns, complete with horse-drawn carriages, vintage storefronts, and extras in meticulously designed early‑1900s attire.

Lower Stuart Street, Princes Street, and Queens Gardens were dressed to echo the bustling life of small-town America. At the same time, Harbourside and Itchen Street in Ōamaru were imbued with rustic charm, capturing the quiet resilience of Steinbeck’s world.

Beyond cityscapes, the production ventured into Central Otago and the Maniototo region, where rolling plains and open fields provided a cinematic canvas for rural drama. Adobe-style village sets, framed by snow-capped hills and wide skies, lent an expansive, almost mythic quality to the narrative’s arcs.

Auckland suburbs like Devonport offered additional backdrops for intimate moments, with quiet streets and historic architecture standing in for the early 20th‑century American townscapes.

But sweeping landscapes alone do not carry a John Steinbeck saga. So Netflix turned to a cast bold enough to make every scene feel painfully real.

Leading the cast of East of Eden is Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames, a fiercely complex antiheroine whose ambition and moral ambiguity drive much of the series’ central conflict. Christopher Abbott appears as Adam Trask, the thoughtful and idealistic figure whose life intertwines with familial and existential struggles.

Meanwhile, Mike Faist portrays Charles Trask, whose fierce temperament and internal conflict add another layer of depth to the Trask family dynamic. Hoon Lee takes on the role of Lee, the loyal and wise companion. Veteran talents such as Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, and Ciarán Hinds round out the ensemble.

At the core of East of Eden’s creative vision is Zoe Kazan, who serves as the series’ writer, executive producer, and co‑showrunner. Kazan brings a deeply personal connection to the material: her grandfather, acclaimed filmmaker Elia Kazan, directed the 1955 East of Eden feature film adaptation that starred James Dean. 

Directing duties for the limited series are shared between Garth Davis, who helmed the first four episodes, and Laure de Clermont‑Tonnerre, who directed the final three. With filming concluded in March 2025 and post‑production well underway, East of Eden is being positioned for a global Netflix debut in early 2026. 

East of Eden is shaping up to be one of Netflix’s most compelling literary adaptations, weaving epic storytelling with deeply human moments.

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Which character arc or thematic element are you most excited to see unfold? Share your thoughts in the comments below.