It’s now been revealed that the production will set up shop in the Auckland suburb of Devonport in February.
A letter sent to Devonport residents advising them of road closures and parking restrictions was seen by the Herald.
It told residents, “We intend to film around a couple of houses, in the Devonport Domain and film on Cheltenham Rd between Oxford Tce and Takuranga Rd.
“As this story is set between the late 1800s and early 1900s we don’t wish to see any modern vehicles and would like to cover large sections of the road (including some of Oxford Tce and Tainui Rd) and footpaths with gravel.”
It added that the cast and crew would number about 200 and that discussions with Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board were under way.
Filming would take place across four days in late February, from Tuesday, February 18 to Friday, February 21.
The letter, signed by location scout and manager Phil Aitken, concluded, “We realise our filming will be a great impact on your area for this week and we will do everything possible to make things go as smoothly as possible.
“We appreciate being able to film in a community such as yours to tell such an epic story.”
A resident told the Herald that crew members had approached their neighbours on Cheltenham Rd and asked to paint their house to fit the time period, to which they agreed - provided they would repaint the house its original colour once filming wrapped.
The miniseries is executive produced and written by Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film adaptation of the book starring James Dean.
She told Netflix, “The resonance of my own familial connection to the material has not been lost on me. But it is Steinbeck’s writing - personal, shocking, profound, and free - that has kept me enthralled by East of Eden since I first read the book as a young teen.”
The book follows two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, whose histories intertwine from the late 1800s to World War I.
According to Variety, the miniseries will “explore the multigenerational saga of the Trask family, focusing new attention on its indelible antihero, Cathy Ames”.
Alongside Pugh, who will also executive produce, Poor Things' Christopher Abbott will star, as well as Challengers' Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, Ciarán Hinds, Joseph Zada and Joe Anders.
Garth Davis will direct the first four episodes, while Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre will direct the final three episodes.
