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The beloved story of Laura Ingalls and her family's relocation to rural Minnesota is finally getting a reboot—and now you can watch a sneak peek.
Netflix just dropped its trailer for Little House on the Prairie, which features Alice Halsey (Lessons in Chemistry) as the bright and bold Laura Ingalls. And according to Netflix, it'll be "part family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West" that gives a "kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier."
Very similar to how Laura Ingalls Wilder starts off her first book, Laura in the trailer says, “Once upon a time, Ma and Pa and Mary and Laura left the Big Woods of Wisconsin and moved to the prairie, where a new life was waiting for them."
And we are whisked away into the 19th-century west: Laura running alongside her dog Jack; her father Charles playing his fiddle by the fire; encounters with unfamiliar faces in a new town; and emotions running high as the family faces an uncertain future.
According to Netflix, the show is based on Wilder's semi-autobiographical books, rather than the 1970-80s TV show (which has its own 24/7 Roku channel, by the way). The first season is specifically inspired by Little House on the Prairie, the third book in the series. “The characters talk about their life before they came to the prairie—we might meet a few characters from their past," says showrunner and executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine.
Sonnenshine, who is a lifelong fan of the books, says she is thrilled with the cast. “Each one of them brings something special to the Little House universe and will help make this story come alive for a whole new generation," she explains.
The show's Laura Ingalls is described as observant, curious, tender, optimistic, strong-willed and hot-tempered.
"Quick to knock down anyone who is cruel or unjust, Laura loves fiercely and unapologetically and is utterly devoted to her dog, Jack," Netflix writes. "She rubs some adults the wrong way—too many hard questions, too much personality, too much energy — but to the people who matter, she’s a bright light. She absorbs every detail she sees around her, collecting them for stories she will someday share with the world."
Luke Bracey (Elvis, Hacksaw Ridge, Little Fires Everywhere) has been cast as Laura’s father, Charles Ingalls, who is described as "the original Girl Dad."
Crosby Fitzgerald (Crime 101, Palm Royale) plays Laura’s mother, Caroline Ingalls, who loves her husband fiercely but is quiet, patient and practical, with a core of steel, Netflix says.
Skywalker Hughes (I, Object) is Mary Ingalls, Laura’s older sister and foil. They are "best friends and mortal enemies, they love each other deeply and hate each other intensely," Netflix says. "But in the end, they always have each other’s backs — there is no choice but to protect each other in this wild, new landscape."
Thankfully, this reboot doesn't look like a grim-dark retelling of the stories. Although it found a fanbase, Netflix's 2017 version of Anne of Green Gables by Breaking Bad's Moira Walley-Beckett was canceled before it could have a season 2. Little House on the Prairie, which has already been renewed for a second season, couldn't have a better team behind it. Executive producers of the series include Joy Gorman Wettels for Joy Coalition and Trip Friendly for Friendly Family Productions. Netflix says Friendly’s father, Ed Friendly, produced the original Little House TV films and series.
"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," Friendly said.
You'll have to wait until July 9 to watch Laura's adventures, but until then, Netflix has more wholesome and heartwarming titles, including Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, My Life with the Walter Boys, and Ransom Canyon.