Featuring @netflix @florencepugh
Netflix has unveiled the full trailer for East of Eden, its ambitious new limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s celebrated novel, with Florence Pugh taking centre stage as one of literature’s most complex and notorious characters.
Pugh stars as Cathy Ames, the enigmatic woman whose arrival dramatically alters the lives of the Trask family. Rather than simply retelling Steinbeck’s story from the perspective of the male characters, the new series places Cathy firmly at its centre, offering a closer look at the woman often regarded as the novel’s great antihero.
The trailer immediately establishes Cathy as a deeply unsettling presence. She describes a world filled with evil while simultaneously presenting herself as someone capable of making her own choices. The result is a portrait of a character who refuses to fit neatly into the categories of hero or villain.
The seven-part series has been adapted by Zoe Kazan, who serves as writer, executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Jeb Stuart. Kazan has taken inspiration directly from Steinbeck’s original work, with the production aiming to preserve the complexity of the author’s characters while bringing a fresh perspective to the story.
At the centre of the drama is the Trask family, whose story stretches across generations. Christopher Abbott plays Adam Trask, while Mike Faist portrays his brother Charles. The cast also includes Tracy Letts as their father Cyrus, with Joseph Zada and Joe Anders playing the next generation of the Trask family, Cal and Aron.
The sprawling story also brings in members of the Hamilton family, including Samuel Hamilton, played by Ciarán Hinds, alongside Hoon Lee as Lee and Martha Plimpton as Faye.
Set against the backdrop of California’s Salinas Valley, East of Eden explores family, identity, morality and the consequences of the choices people make. The story spans decades, beginning around the time of the American Civil War and continuing toward the First World War.
One of the central themes remains the eternal conflict between good and evil, particularly the question of whether people are destined to repeat the mistakes of those who came before them or whether they can ultimately choose their own path.
That idea is particularly important to Cathy, whose relationship with the Trask family becomes increasingly intertwined with the series’ exploration of inherited trauma, desire and personal responsibility.
The new adaptation also has a notable connection to the classic 1955 film version of East of Eden. Zoe Kazan is the granddaughter of legendary filmmaker Elia Kazan, who directed that earlier adaptation starring James Dean and Jo Van Fleet.
Behind the camera, Garth Davis directs the first four episodes, while Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre takes over for the final three. Davis is known for films including Lion and Mary Magdalene, while de Clermont-Tonnerre previously directed The Mustang and Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
With Pugh leading a heavyweight ensemble and Netflix giving Steinbeck’s classic a seven-episode treatment, East of Eden looks set to offer a darker and more expansive interpretation of the source material.
For Pugh, the role provides another opportunity to explore a complicated character operating somewhere between vulnerability, manipulation and outright menace. The trailer suggests Cathy will be at the heart of the series’ most unsettling moments.
All seven episodes of East of Eden will premiere globally on Netflix on October 1, 2026.
Are you looking forward to seeing Florence Pugh take on Cathy Ames in East of Eden?
