Florence Pugh calls Māori pōwhiri ceremony a standout moment of shoot
Florence Pugh described her starring role as antagonist Cathy Ames in Netflix’s seven-episode adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel East of Eden as her “baby” following a traditional Māori pōwhiri welcome in New Zealand, where production utilized Heritage New Zealand properties to recreate early 20th-century California. The streaming release arrived on October 1, with Pugh discussing the project on both Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Graham Norton Show, as reported.
Welcoming Cast and Crew With a Traditional Pōwhiri
Production on the limited series began in December 2024 with a traditional Māori pōwhiri ceremony welcoming the cast and crew to New Zealand. Florence Pugh told Late Night with Seth Meyers that experiencing the welcoming ritual was a standout moment of the shoot. “We started the shooting schedule with this incredible ceremony,” the actress said. “You’re immediately full of this power and love. It was a very special way to shoot.” About 150 crew members worked across the production, making it the largest project hosted by Heritage New Zealand across its properties.
Transforming New Zealand Heritage Sites Into California’s Salinas Valley
Filming took place across three Heritage New Zealand properties in Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula to replicate the Salinas Valley setting of John Steinbeck’s classic text. Crews utilized Auckland’s Alberton and Highwic heritage sites alongside the Thames School of Mines on the Coromandel Peninsula. Heritage New Zealand Auckland properties lead Tanya Wilkinson noted that the rooms at Highwic and Alberton were dressed to look lived-in. “We were delighted and honoured that Alberton, Highwic and Thames School of Mines were selected as backdrops for the East of Eden series,” Wilkinson said. “Due to the outstanding professionalism of everyone involved we have no doubt the series is going to win a lot of well-deserved awards.”
Bringing a Classic Literary Antagonist to Screen
The seven-episode miniseries covers a much wider scope of the source material than the 1955 film adaptation directed by Elia Kazan. While Jo Van Fleet won an Academy Award for playing an older version of Cathy Ames in the 1955 feature, Netflix’s version explores the character’s earlier years and development across several decades. “It is a sweeping epic, and my character is also epic in every way. It has been the most amazing journey working with Zoe,” she said, referencing co-showrunner and executive producer Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather directed the 1955 film. “It has been so special and it’s like releasing our baby. I am very protective of it, and really excited.”
Cast Lineup and Upcoming Screen Projects
The series features Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask, Mike Faist as Charles Trask, Joseph Zada as Cal, Joe Anders as Aron, Ciarán Hinds as Samuel Hamilton, Hoon Lee as Lee, Tracy Letts as Cyrus Trask, and Martha Plimpton as Faye. All episodes became available to stream on Netflix on October 1.
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