Netflix to adapt Little House on the Prairie

Netflix have announced an upcoming adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie.

Published in 1935, the book is a semi-autobiographical story detailing Wilder’s experiences of growing up in the American West in the 19th century. Little House on the Prairie is the third book in a series of eight Wilder published, a ninth released posthumously in 1971.

The book was adapted in the 1970s as a decade-long TV series. Netflix, along with showrunner and executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine, hope to bring the novels to a new generation of viewers.

“I fell deeply in love with these books when I was five years old,” Sonnenshine said. “They inspired me to become a writer and a filmmaker, and I am honoured and thrilled to be adapting these stories for a new audience.”

Sonnenshine has written and produced many hit TV series, including Amazon Prime’s The Boys and critically acclaimed The Vampire Diaries. Joy Gorman Wettels, Trip Friendly, Dana Fox, and Susanna Fogel will also join as executive producers.

Friendly is the son of the 70s TV adaptation’s executive producer, Ed Friendly. He is now CEO of Friendly Family Productions, which produced the 2015 documentary Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

According to Netflix, the adaptation is “part family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West.”

“Little House on the Prairie has captured the hearts and imaginations of so many fans around the world, and we’re excited to share its enduring themes of hope and optimism with a fresh take on this iconic story,” said Jinny Howe, Netflix’s vice president of drama series. “Rebecca’s vision threads the needle with an emotional depth that will delight both new and existing fans of this beloved classic.”