The “Little House on the Prairie” series in the works at Netflix has found its first cast member. Alice Halsey has been cast in the series regular role of Laura Ingalls. A full character description can be found below.
The Netflix series is based on the beloved book series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was first announced with a series pickup in January.
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The logline for the show states, “Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semi-autobiographical ‘Little House’ books offers a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.”
Halsey recently lent her voice to the Disney animated series “Kindergarten: The Musical.” She has also appeared in shows like the iconic soap opera “Days of Our Lives” and the NBC followup to “Night Court.” She made her television debut in the Apple TV+ series “Lessons in Chemistry,” playing the daughter of Brie Larson’s character.
She is repped by LBI Entertainment.
Rebecca Sonnenshine will serve as showrunner and executive producer on “Little House on the Prairie.” Joy Gorman Wettels of Joy Coalition will also executive produce along with Trip Friendly for Friendly Family Productions, Dana Fox, and Susanna Fogel. Sarah Adina Smith will direct the first episode. CBS Studios and Anonymous Content Studios will produce for Netflix. Friendly is the son of Ed Friendly, who executive produced the original “Little House on the Prairie” TV series.
Ingalls Wilder released eight “Little House” books in the 1930s and ’40s, while a ninth was published posthumously in 1971. The books are based on her childhood in the American Midwest in the late 1800s. More than 73 million copies of the books have been sold to date.
The books were then adapted into the incredibly popular NBC series “Little House on the Prairie,” which aired for nine seasons and over 200 episodes between 1974 and 1983. Three made-for-TV “Little House” movies were released after the series, and the show’s appeal has endured long after it ended. Nielsen recently reported that the original series was one of the most-streamed library titles of 2024, garnering 13.25 billion viewing minutes on Peacock over the course of the year.
Character Description
Laura Ingalls: Everyone sees themselves in Laura. That’s why these books endure. Laura is a disruptor. Honest to a fault. Questions authority. She’s our window into this adventure. An American icon in waiting. Forget your modern ideas of childhood — the stakes are high for children living in the 19th century. They have responsibilities — and freedoms — that seem extraordinary in this era of helicopter parenting. Mixed in with small pleasures and petty disputes with her older sister are true feats of survival and bravery. She is observant, tender, strong-willed, hot-tempered. She resists the bounds of 19th-century ladylike behavior — she likes to run barefoot and feel the sun on her face. She is curious and optimistic and fearless, like her father; resourceful and hardworking and honest, like her mother. She is quick to call out anyone who is cruel or unjust. She loves fiercely and unapologetically and is utterly devoted to her dog, Jack. 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.
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