Netflix Built Steinbeck’s California Out of New Zealand for ‘East of Eden’ and Fans Have Thoughts About the Filming Locations
Steinbeck’s Salinas Valley is one of the most recognizable landscapes in American literature, so it may surprise viewers that Netflix’s ‘East of Eden’ filming locations sit on the other side of the world. The story is set in California’s Salinas Valley, but Dunedin, Oamaru and Auckland in New Zealand served as the primary filming locations. That is a big swap for a novel so tied to one place.
The wait is nearly over for anyone curious to see the results. Netflix has set a Thursday, October 1 premiere for the seven part adaptation starring Florence Pugh. Here is a closer look at where the cameras rolled and why the choice has people talking.
Dunedin and Oamaru Anchor the ‘East of Eden’ Filming Locations
Filming began in New Zealand in mid October and wrapped by March of the following year, with Dunedin and Oamaru among the key locations. Both sit on the South Island, and both offer something a Hollywood backlot struggles to fake. The production leaned hard on that character.
Dunedin’s heritage architecture, lush terrain and nearby coastal landscapes make it a strong stand in for the turn of the century Salinas Valley. One local frontage even got a makeover. It was transformed into the fictional ‘Costumers and Milliners’ store for the series.
Oamaru may be the biggest scene stealer of all. The town’s Victorian Precinct was transformed into early twentieth century California during filming. According to the NZ Herald, locations manager Phil Turner called them “incredibly unique locations” and said you would almost have to build a set to match the precinct.
Inside the Auckland Shoot in Cheltenham
The production did not stay in the south. A four day Auckland shoot took place in Cheltenham in late February, after filming in Oamaru and Central Otago. The shoot ran under the working title ‘Timshel’, a nod to a famous idea from the novel.
The scale was impressive for a quiet suburban area. Up to 200 cast and crew were on set, and local streets were transformed to resemble California’s Salinas Valley in the early twentieth century. Location managers even arranged for selected houses to be painted in era appropriate colours, including a notable villa built in 1906.
The street dressing went well beyond fresh paint. Part of Cheltenham Road and nearby streets were covered with gravel, while vintage cars, horses and extras in period costumes drew groups of spectators. That kind of detail helps explain why the Auckland stretch of the production became such a local talking point.
Neighbours were largely won over. Locals praised the cast and crew for their creativity and communication. Not every production leaves that kind of goodwill behind.
How New Zealand Stands In for the Salinas Valley
The story itself roams beyond California. It is set in the Salinas Valley as well as parts of Massachusetts. That means the production needed landscapes and streets that could handle several periods and places at once.
New Zealand has plenty of experience playing other worlds. Fans have long obsessed over locations like Matamata, Wellington and the Putangirua Pinnacles from ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Netflix’s series joins a proud list of productions that have turned Kiwi terrain into something else entirely.
The creative team behind the camera matters here too. Garth Davis directed the first four episodes, while Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directed the final three. Pugh stars as Cathy, with Christopher Abbott as Adam and Mike Faist as Charles.
Fan Backlash Over ‘East of Eden’ Filming Outside California
Not everyone is thrilled with the passport stamp. Some American literature lovers are fuming that a beloved California story was filmed abroad, and one commenter said it does not feel like the same story. That reaction shows how personal Steinbeck’s setting is for many readers.
The complaint has a real basis. The novel is considered one of California’s defining literary works, deeply tied to the Salinas Valley and the state’s geography and identity. The timing also caught attention, since filming wrapped in New Zealand before a threat of steep tariffs on films produced outside the US.
There is a bit of family history in the mix as well. Zoe Kazan wrote the adaptation of a novel that was previously turned into a 1955 movie directed by her grandfather, Elia Kazan. So after seeing Oamaru’s Victorian streets and Dunedin’s heritage buildings pass for Steinbeck’s California, does New Zealand capture the Trask family’s world for you, or does this story belong only in the Golden State?
