East of Eden: Here’s how Zoe Kazan put her own spin on her grandfather’s adaptation

Netflix's latest historical drama miniseries, East of Eden, starring Florence Pugh, dropped on October 1, 2026. Created by Zoe Kazan, the series is based on John Steinbeck's 1952 novel, which is based on the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Interestingly, Steinbeck's novel was previously adapted into a 1955 film directed by Elia Kazan, Zoe's grandfather. However, the Netflix series takes a different approach, with Zoe Kazan putting her own spin on the story and moving beyond her grandfather's adaptation.

Zoe Kazan's East of Eden pushes Cathy Ames to the forefront rather than focusing on the lives of the Trask brothers only. Set between the 19th century and World War I, it also explores the lives of Adam and Charles Trask, as well as Cathy's twin sons, Caleb and Aron.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Zoe Kazan revealed that the 1955 film missed elements that she loved from the novel, including Cathy Ames, the intergenerational element of the story, the novel's exploration of complex familial equations, and characters like Lee and Samuel Hamilton. She said,

"None of that was in the 1955 film. If it had been, I never would have made this.”

According to HuffPost, the 1955 film was predominantly about the Trask brothers, Caleb and Aron. This was mainly because Elia Kazan's film covered only the final part of Steinbeck's novel. The movie ignored Adam, Charles, and Cathy's background and origins and dove straight into their young adult days. The Netflix series fills the gaps and shows how the Trask brothers mirror the lives of their uncle and father.

Here's more about it.

How is Zoe Kazan's East of Eden different from Elia Kazan's 1955 film?

Zoe Kazan's approach to the East of Eden series was quite different from that of her grandfather, Elia Kazan's approach, in the 1955 film starring James Dean and Raymond Massey. While the film explores the final part of Steinbeck's novel, Zoe places Cathy Ames as the central female character.

Rather than directly painting Cathy as the antagonist, like the novel, the Netflix series explores the struggles that led her to make the dark decisions. The Netflix show doesn't omit Cathy's evil deeds, including murdering her parents and killing the brothel owner, Faye. However, the Netflix series shows the domestic and sexual violence she endured all along.

Also, since the movie was on a tight runtime of two hours, it couldn't explore Adam, Charles, and Cathy Ames' background. Meanwhile, in Zoe Kazan's Netflix series, which has seven episodes in total, the characters' psychological depth, context, and background were thoroughly explored. Zoe told The Hollywood Reporter,

"The film takes on a small part of the story for very good reasons. The story is so big that even with seven episodes, seven hours, half of the book isn’t in our series."

She described that her goal was to offer a deeper dive into characters. She added that while reading about Cathy Ames' character, she realized that Cathy could be deceptive at times, but she usually spoke the truth. She said,

"I felt like I had never read anyone like her."

Lee's role in Netflix's East of Eden

Additionally, the East of Eden film left out the character of Lee, Adam's friend and loyal housekeeper. The Netflix series brings him back into the Trask home. Lee is portrayed by Hoon Lee. The character is absent from the 1955 film because it focuses on the teenage lives of Cal and Aron Trask, ignoring their backstory, which includes Adam and Lee's relationship.

Netflix's version of Lee is quite similar to the book. He helps Adam raise Aron and Cal and functions like a nanny. However, Zoe Kazan takes some creative liberties with the character. In both the novel and series, Lee leaves the family to open a bookstore in San Francisco. In the book, he gives up his dream due to loneliness, while in the series, he faces racist exclusion.

Also Read: Florence Pugh enters a twisted family feud in East of Eden as buried secrets threaten to tear everything apart

Trending

All episodes of East of Eden are available to stream on Netflix.

Follow SoapCentral for more such updates.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback