Netflix is adapting John Steinbeck’s acclaimed 1952 novel *East of Eden* into a seven-episode series, premiering on 1 October 2026. Created by Zoe Kazan and led by Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames, the project is significant because it revisits a major American literary work while drawing on Kazan’s family connection to the story: her grandfather, Elia Kazan, wrote the screenplay for the 1955 film adaptation.

The drama follows the rivalries and moral struggles of the Trask and Hamilton families in early 20th-century California. Its central themes include family conflict, jealousy, inherited identity and free will, particularly through the parallel between Adam and Charles and the next generation, twins Cal and Aron. Steinbeck’s idea of “timshel”, meaning “thou mayest”, suggests that people can choose whether to overcome or embrace the darker traits they inherit.