Florence Pugh’s ‘East of Eden’ Climbs to No. 1 on Netflix in Its Opening Weekend

Few literary adaptations have been as eagerly anticipated as Netflix’s ‘East of Eden’. Created by Zoe Kazan and starring Florence Pugh, the limited series brings John Steinbeck’s sweeping novel to the screen across 7 episodes, following the intertwined lives of the Trask family in California’s Salinas Valley.

The project has been years in the making. It was first reported in development at Netflix in 2022 before being officially greenlit in 2024, with filming taking place in Ōamaru and Dunedin in New Zealand.

Now the series has officially arrived, and audiences have tuned in. After premiering on October 1, ‘East of Eden’ debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 English TV list with 6.5 million views in its first 4 days.

The drama held off strong competition to claim the top spot. ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ came in second with 5.7 million views in its third week, while Netflix’s ‘A Different World’ reboot took third place with 5.1 million views. The unscripted competition series ‘Wonka’s The Golden Ticket’ rounded out the top 4 with 4.3 million views. The limited series also landed in the Top 10 across 93 countries.

East of Eden starring Florence Pugh has debuted at #1 on Netflix with 6.5 million views. https://t.co/hxiSLyVZ2t
— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) October 6, 2026

Not everyone sees the debut as a runaway success. Deadline described it as a soft opening, noting it was the lowest total for a No. 1 show since the end of March, when the second season of ‘One Piece’ topped the chart in its third week with 5.9 million views.

What’s on Netflix compared the debut with other recent Netflix limited series, ranking ‘East of Eden’ 17th by opening week views. The outlet also noted that the views figure is calculated by dividing total hours watched by the series’ roughly 7-hour runtime.

Still, many viewers defended the performance. Fans online pointed out that a prestige period drama based on a classic novel shouldn’t be expected to draw blockbuster-sized audiences. Pugh stars as Cathy Ames, an antihero whose life becomes entangled with generations of the Trask family. Christopher Abbott plays Adam Trask, while Mike Faist portrays his brother Charles.

First trailer for ‘EAST OF EDEN’, starring Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, and Mike Faist. The series follows the intertwined destinies of the Trask and Hamilton families in California’s Salinas Valley. Releasing October 1 on Netflix. https://t.co/QFThlLKvs2
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 2, 2026

The ensemble also includes Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, Hoon Lee, Ciarán Hinds and Joseph Zada. Garth Davis directed the series. Unlike the famous 1955 film starring James Dean, which focused on the later part of Steinbeck’s novel, this adaptation gives Cathy far more room. Kazan made significant changes and cuts to fit the sprawling story into 7 episodes.

The series has also earned strong reviews. ‘East of Eden’ holds an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes, edging out the 1955 film by 2 points. Critics have particularly praised Pugh’s performance and the scale and ambition of Kazan’s adaptation. Some reviews have called the series brilliant and breathtaking.

The show’s impact is already being felt beyond the streaming charts. According to Variety, Penguin Classics has seen a 200% increase in sales of Steinbeck’s novel since Netflix announced the greenlight.

The adaptation has pushed the beloved book back to the top of the charts, introducing it to a new generation of readers. With strong reviews and a No. 1 debut, ‘East of Eden’ could keep building momentum in the weeks ahead.