Florence Pugh has transformed into a villainous antiheroine in the first trailer for her new Netflix series East Of Eden, based on John Steinbeck's classic 1952 novel of the same name.
The tense period drama premieres on October 1. Pugh, 30, plays main character Cathy Ames, the series' scheming antihero, whose character is married to Adam Trask, played by Christopher Abbott.
As the trailer begins, Pugh's character says: "A monster is a variation from accepted normal. A child may be born perfect but without kindness or conscience."
The chilling trailer sees the drama unfold over several decades, spanning the American Civil War to World War One. Cathy warns: "Evil is not always apparent at first glance, it can come cloaked in beauty, or goodness or blood."
Cast and story details
Later in the trailer, Adam's brother Charles, played by Mike Faist, warns: "She is going to tear you to pieces and I don't want to watch it." As it draws to a close, Cathy adds: "To a monster the norm must seem monstrous."
The new series is adapted by Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film adaptation of the novel, which starred James Dean. Steinbeck's original book followed two families across generations in California's Salinas Valley and is considered one of the author's major works.
Speaking about her decision to cast Pugh, Kazan said: "I didn't have a backup. I didn't have another person that I thought would be just as good. She is the exact right person to play Cathy."
Kazan added: "Her awareness of the camera is unparalleled. I don't use this word lightly: I think she's a genius. I watched her on set for five months. I have no more insight now as to how she works than I did before. I can see how hard she works, and I can see how much it means to her, but there's no obvious preparation or process that is visible to me at least."
Pugh's earnings and upcoming roles
The new series comes after Pugh banked £10 million amid rumours she is being lined up to play Miss Moneypenny in a Bond spin-off. The Oppenheimer actress's latest accounts for Flo Pug, the business into which the Oxford-born star pays her earnings, show it made £6 million in profit last year.
With Flo Pug's ongoing takings working out at £116,000 per week, its total earnings will have added up to £9.9 million. Pugh holds £10.8 million in the firm before bills.
She features in a stellar line-up of movie releases this year, with roles in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three and East Of Eden.
Moneypenny spin-off speculation
Pugh is also being tipped to star in TV spin-off The Moneypenny Diaries on Prime Video, after Amazon bought the rights to 007. The series is said to be based on the books of the same name by Samantha Weinberg, written under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook, which were published between 2005 and 2008.
Pugh on taking a break
Pugh's successes come after she admitted she is taking time to "stop and recharge" and hinted that she is considering taking a break from acting.
She told Elle Spain last month that a break would help her career long-term, adding: "Taking care of myself. It's that simple. Being able to breathe. For a long time, I've said I needed to slow down, but the truth is I never did."
She continued: "In the end, I was burning myself out. Now I'm dedicating more time to my family and friends. I need to recharge to keep tackling such demanding roles. So for me, success is having learned to stop."
