Netflix's take on Little House on the Prairie just made a real move from rumor to reality. During a 50th anniversary reunion for the original series, the team behind the new show showed up, answered questions, and dropped actual details — including who is playing Laura.
Not a reboot, a fresh adaptation
Trip Friendly — whose father, Ed Friendly, produced the original series — was clear about what this is and what it isn't. He does not want the new Netflix project labeled a reboot. The plan is to go back to Laura Ingalls Wilder's books and build from there, with a heavier dose of real history threaded in.
"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. And I think that's a very fascinating part of history, that era — 1860s, 1870s, 1880s."
Yes, it's semantics, but in this case it matters — they're aiming for the novels' tone and timelines, not a beat-for-beat redo of the classic TV show.
They found their Laura
The casting search sounds like it was a long one. Friendly said they saw a lot of contenders for both Laura and Mary. The result: Alice Halsey will play Laura Ingalls. Rebecca Friendly, who is also part of the creative team, praised Halsey as mature, talented, and already fully clicked into the role. No other casting announcements were locked in during the event, at least publicly.
Melissa Gilbert gave her blessing
If you're wondering how the original Laura feels about all this, Melissa Gilbert has been supportive. According to Rebecca Friendly, Gilbert and the new team have met and talked things through, which should calm at least some nostalgic nerves.
The reunion itself
The update came during a public 50th anniversary gathering that pulled together members of the original cast and the new creative team. Familiar faces were in the room, including:
- Karen Grassle
- Alison Arngrim
- Rachel Lindsay Greenbush
- Sidney Greenbush
- ...and more franchise vets
Bottom line: Netflix's Little House is moving forward with a history-forward, book-first approach, a new Laura in Alice Halsey, and the original show's most famous star giving it a nod. More to come, but this is the first batch of specifics that actually tells us what kind of series they're making.