After previously featuring opposite Zendaya in one of the steamiest movies of the year, one Challengers star has officially signed on for his next project. A new report from Deadline revealed that Mike Faist has joined Florence Pugh and Christopher Abbott in the cast of East of Eden, the TV remake of the 1955 movie starring James Dean. East of Eden (both the film and the upcoming series) is based on the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck, the legendary author who passed away in 1968. Hoon Lee has also joined Faist, Pugh, and Abbott in the cast of East of Eden, which Jeb Stuart will showrun. Zoe Kazan has been tapped to write the series and will executive produce alongside Pugh, who also served as a producer on her 2023 flick with Morgan Freeman, A Good Person.
Faist is best known for his role as Riff in the Steven Spielberg-directed and Rachel Zegler-starring West Side Story, which saw Ariana DeBose win an Oscar for her performance in the film, and was also nominated in six more categories. Faist made a name for himself in 2018 when he featured in Wildling, the fantasy horror thriller toplined by Liv Tyler and also starring Bel Powley and Brad Dourif. He also starred as Arthur in The Atlantic City Story, the drama written and directed by Henry Butash and starring Jessica Hecht that is currently streaming on the free streaming platform, Tubi. Faist also plays Danny in The Bikeriders, the motorcycle drama starring Tom Hardy and Austin Butler.
What Else Have the ‘East of Eden’ Stars Been in Recently?
Pugh is fresh off her brief but stunning appearance as Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Two, and she’ll next appear alongside Andrew Garfield in We Live in Time and will also headline one of the biggest movies of 2025, Thunderbolts*. Abbot recently played Alfie Blessington in the Oscar-winning smash hit, Poor Things, and is set to star alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe in Kraven the Hunter, due in theaters on December 13. Lee is best known for his role in the beloved HBO action series, Warrior, and will next appear alongside Jon Hamm in Your Friends and Neighbors.
East of Eden does not yet have an official release date, and it’s unknown at this time when it will begin production. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and watch Faist in Challengers, now streaming on Prime Video.
via Collider