Little House on the Prairie is a television series based on the Little House on the Prairie books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The series was developed by Rebecca Sonnenshine and produced by CBS Studios and Anonymous Content, and commissioned by Netflix in January 2025.
Little House on the Prairie premiered on Netflix on July 9, 2026. The series was renewed for a second season in March 2026, ahead of its premiere.
Contents
Cast and Characters
Main cast
Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, the series' central protagonist. Laura is portrayed as curious, strong-willed, and quick to challenge authority, with a deep sense of justice. She is described as sharing her father's optimism and fearlessness and her mother's resourcefulness and honesty.
Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Laura's father, depicted as a farmer, trapper, carpenter, and musician. Charles is an optimist with a restless spirit, perpetually seeking new opportunities, a characterization that drives the family's westward journey.
Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls, Laura's mother, portrayed as the pragmatic and steadying force of the family. Caroline gave up a career as a teacher to raise her children, and her marriage to Charles is depicted as a partnership of equals.
Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls, Laura's older sister. Where Laura is impulsive and at home in the natural world, Mary is studious, rule-abiding, and domestic. The two sisters are portrayed as best friends, who sometimes quarrel.
Warren Christie as John Edwards, a Civil War veteran from Tennessee, depicted as gregarious and charming, with an air of mystery.
Jocko Sims as Dr. George Tann, the local doctor, described as kindhearted and community-minded, with a warm bedside manner.
Meegwun Fairbrother as William Mitchell, a successful farmer living with his family in Kansas, where he’s built an impressive homestead.
Alyssa Wapanatâhk as White Sun, Mitchell's wife, portrayed as sharp-witted and perceptive, with a more skeptical view of the world than her husband.
Wren Zhawenim Gotts as Good Eagle, Mitchell and White Sun's daughter, known within her family as an imaginative storyteller.
Supporting cast
Xander Cole as Little Puma, White Sun's younger brother, depicted as good-hearted but stubborn, searching for his place in the world.
Barrett Doss as Emily Henderson, a capable woman who runs the general store and takes in Caleb, an orphaned boy who wanders into town.
Mary Holland as Jemma James, the wife of Eli James, portrayed as a confident, socially connected woman who serves as the town's busybody.
Michael Hough as Eli James, Jemma's husband, who works for the railroad and is welcoming toward the new settlers arriving in the area.
Ryan Robbins as Russell Kind, a grizzled, cynical settler.
Kowen Cadorath as Caleb, an orphaned preteen boy who is taken in by Emily Henderson and given work at the general store.
Thosh Collins as Louis, White Sun's cousin, described as good-natured and levelheaded.
Maclean Fish as Adam Scott, a young man who appears to have had a sheltered life, with no visible experience of hardship.
Rebecca Amzallag as Lacey Aubert, a widowed woman on the outskirts of the community who owns a cardroom and bar.
Rachelle Lefevre as Eva Beadle, the patient and generous town schoolteacher.
Willa Dunn as Nellie Oleson, a spoiled playground bully who is the rival and nemesis of Laura Ingalls
Charlotte Sullivan as Margaret Oleson, mother of Nellie Oleson whom she loves unconditionally and will protect at all costs.
Production
Development
In December 2020, it was announced that Paramount TV Studios and Anonymous Content would be developing an hour-long drama series based on Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie novel. At the time, the series was set to be executive produced by Trip Friendly for Friendly Family Productions, Joy Gorman Wettels for Joy Coalition, and Dana Fox. CBS Studios absorbed Paramount TV Studios’ slate in 2024.
Netflix officially ordered the first season of the new Little House on the Prairie adaptation in January 2025. At that time, Rebecca Sonnenshine was announced as an executive producer and series showrunner. Susanna Fogel was also added as an executive producer.
Speaking in February 2025, actress Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder on the entire run of the earlier series, said she had no issue with the new adaptation and that there was "plenty of room" for "someone else's interpretation". Original cast members Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler told ReMIND Magazine the new series would be more focused on the original books, rather than a reboot of their series. They also responded to the social media reaction from commentator Megyn Kelly, who had posted on Twitter that "if you wokeify Little House on the Prairie I will make it my singular mission to absolutely ruin your project." Members of the original cast responded by pointing out that the original series addressed topics that would be considered "woke" today, such as racism, addiction, nativism, antisemitism, misogyny, rape, spousal abuse and other topics.
The series was renewed for a second season on March 3, 2026.
Casting
An open casting call for the main role of young Laura and other main cast members was announced in March 2025. In April 2025, 10 year-old actress Alice Halsey was cast in the role of Laura Ingalls, with Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald, and Skywalker Hughes cast the following month in the roles of Charles, Caroline, and Mary respectively. Later cast were Warren Christie as John Edwards, Meegwun Fairbrother as Mitchell, Wren Zhawenim Gotts as Good Eagle, Alyssa Wapanatǎhk as White Sun and Jocko Sims as Dr. George Tann. In July 2025, Mary Holland and Barrett Doss were amongst seven more additions to the cast. In May 2026, it was announced that Willa Dunn would play Nellie Oleson in Season 2. Rachelle Lefevre and Charlotte Sullivan were added to the Season 2 cast in June 2026, with Lefevre in the role of the town schoolteacher, Eva Beadle, and Sullivan playing Margaret Oleson, mother of Nellie Oleson.
Filming
Principal photography began on June 10, 2025, and filming wrapped in October 2025. Filming locations include Winnipeg, Canada.
Winnipeg filming dates for the second season are set for June 12 through October 30.
Release
Little House on the Prairie premiered on Netflix on July 9, 2026.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 79% approval rating based on 62 reviews, with an average of rated reviews of 6.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Little House on the Prairie dusts off the 70s and enters a new era of conscious creation and adaptation, striking the right balance between nostalgia and inspiration to craft a new and enlivened path for itself." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 67 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
