Netflix’s ‘Little House’ Isn’t a Reboot, Says Executive Producer—Here’s What Makes It Different
The crew share details about the Netflix show, the cast, and what fans can expect
After months of anticipation, executive producer Trip Friendly and his daughter Rebecca Friendly are giving Little House fans a sneak peak at what they can expect from the new Netflix show. At a 50th anniversary event for the original show, the duo not only shared why they don’t want their creation to be considered a reboot, but also gave insights into what star Alice Halsey is going to bring to the table as Laura Ingalls and how some of the show’s original stars responded to the revival news. Read on to discover what they had to say.
What we know about Netflix’s new ‘Little House on the Prairie’ project
Rebecca Sonnenshine, who is best known for her work on projects like The Boys and The Vampire Diaries, told Deadline, “I fell deeply in love with these books when I was 5 years old. They inspired me to become a writer and a filmmaker, and I am honored and thrilled to be adapting these stories for a new global audience with Netflix.”
Joining Sonnenshine and Trip are executive producers Susanna Fogel, Joy Gorman Wettels and Dana Fox.
Friendly’s father, Ed, first bought the rights to the Laura Ingalls Wilder series back in 1974. He then sold it to Paramount TV Studios and Anonymous Content in 2020, and it has been in limbo until Netflix decided to pick it up and produce it last year.
“It has been a long-held dream of mine to carry on my father’s legacy and adapt Wilder’s classic American stories for a 21st-century audience in a way that brings together fans of both the books and the original television series,” Trip said. “I am thrilled by our talented creative team led by Rebecca Sonnenshine, who are bringing these beloved stories about family, community and survival to longtime fans and new generations.”
At the anniversary event, Friendly told Little House fans he doesn’t want it to be considered a reboot, and instead thinks of it like “a new adaptation of the original books.”
“My dream has always been to go back to the books, do a fresh adaptation and also bring in the history of the period. I studied history in college, I love history,” he continued. “And I think that’s a very fascinating part of history, that era—1860s, 1870s, 1880s.”
As of now, there is no release date for the series, and Halsey (who is best known for her work in Lessons in Chemistry) is still set to be the shows lead. At the 50th anniversary event Sonnenshine made it clear how excited they were to work with her.
“She just turned 11 years old, and she is so mature, so talented,” Rebecca said. “She just has really fully embraced the character of Laura. And I think, in my opinion, you all are going to be excited to see her step up to the plate.”
What will the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ show be about?
Per Deadline, the first season is expected to follow the Ingalls family—Charles, Caroline, Laura and Mary—as they journey from Wisconsin to Independence, Kansas, in the hopes of creating a better life for themselves.
The season will reportedly feature various members of the Osage Native American tribe. (Wilder was heavily criticized for setting the original series on land stolen from them and portraying the tribe offensively and inaccurately.)
“When the book is given a critical reading, it becomes quite clear why an Indigenous child would walk away with feelings of shame, hurt and embarrassment,” scholar Waziyatawin Angela Cavender Wilson said in 2017. “There are literally dozens of derogatory, dehumanizing and damaging messages.”
As of publication, it remains unclear how Netflix is planning to tackle this issue, but, Jinny Howe, VP of Drama Series at Netflix, said in a statement that the reboot will be “a fresh take on this iconic story.”
“Rebecca’s vision threads the needle with an emotional depth that will delight both new and existing fans of this beloved classic.”
Will any original ‘Little House on the Prairie’ cast members return?
It’s unclear whether any of the original cast will return. Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls), Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls) and Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls) are the only surviving members of the Ingalls family, and Grassle has said she doesn’t think a reboot will work.
“There have been lots of attempts to do a Little House on the Prairie again,” Grassle, 82, told People in 2024. “There have been shows, there have been musicals and I think we had a unique experience and it can’t be repeated.”
She also said any sort of reboot wouldn’t be the same without the late Michael Landon, who died in 1991 from pancreatic cancer.
“Michael was a genius at casting and writing,” Grassle explained. “He understood things about how to translate that material into television for the public that was beyond what most writers understand. And he had his thumb on the pulse of the public and understood what people were longing for, and you don’t find that every day.”
While Grassle may not be looking forward to revisiting the Ingalls family, Rebecca said at the 50th anniversary event that Gilbert is “”very excited to pass the baton” to Halsey.
“She’s been very supportive, and they met and had conversations,” Sonnenshine said.
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