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NEED TO KNOW
Members of the Little House on the Prairie cast got together to wrap up a year full of celebrations honoring the beloved series' 50th anniversary
The three-day fan event took place in Simi Valley, Calif., from Dec. 12 to Dec. 14
During the event, new details about the upcoming Little House remake were revealed
Fifty years later, theLittle House on the Prairiecast is reflecting on the show's past — and sharing what's ahead forits future.
Members of the cast and crew who brought the beloved series to life throughout its nine-season run (from 1974 to 1983) came together for a holiday gathering at Strathearn Historical Park in Simi Valley, Calif., to close out the show's 50th anniversary year.
The three-day fan event, which took place from Dec. 12 to Dec. 14, featured appearances fromKaren Grassle(Caroline Ingalls), Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson), Rachel Lindsay Greenbush (Carrie Ingalls), Sidney Greenbush (Carrie Ingalls), Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle), Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder) andPatrick Labyorteaux(Andy Garvey).
Other participants included Bonnie Bartlett (Grace Edwards), Ketty Lester (Hester-Sue Terhune), Pamela Roylance (Sarah Carter), Stan Ivar (John Carter), David Friendman (Jason Carter),Todd Bridges(Solomon Henry) and Jennifer Donati (Baby Rose Wilder).
The immersive fan experience featured meet-and-greets, holiday-themed photo ops, autograph signings, screenings ofLittle House's best holiday episodes, and screenings of the all-new feature-length documentary,Little House Homecoming.
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During various panels, the cast and crew talked about everything from their auditions to their favorite on-set memories. New details about the upcomingLittle Housereboot were also revealed.
In one Q&A session, Trip Friendly (son ofLittle Houseproducer Ed Friendly) and his daughter, Rebecca Friendly, discussed the much-anticipatedLittle Houseremake.
Trip began by sharing that he doesn't consider it a reboot but rather "a new adaptation of the original books."
"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," he explained. "And I think that's a very fascinating part of history, that era — 1860s, 1870s, 1880s."
Michael Becker / Apple TV+ /Courtesy Everett Collection
Trip said his team auditioned "a lot of potential Lauras and Marys," and as soon as he saw the "brilliant" Alice Halsey inLessons in Chemistry, he knew she was perfect for the role of Laura Ingalls.
"She just turned 11 years old, and she is so mature, so talented," Rebecca added. "She just has really fully embraced the character of Laura. And I think, in my opinion, you all are going to be excited to see her step up to the plate."
Rebecca also shared thatMelissa Gilbert, who played Laura in the original series, was "very excited to pass the baton" to Halsey. "She's been very supportive, and they met and had conversations."
Netflixannounced the newLittle Houseadaptationback in January. Rebecca Sonnenshine, who previously worked onThe BoysandThe Vampire Diaries, is serving as executive producer and showrunner, joined by Trip as executive producer.
The show's official logline describes the series as "part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West." Like Wilder's novels — which were published primarily in the 1930s and 1940s — the Netflix series will offer "a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier."
Eric Zachanowich/Netflix
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Gilbert told PEOPLE in February 2025 that the remake will "hew closer" to the books than the original series did.
"There's a lot of information and beautiful stories to mine from the actual writings ofLittle House," the actress said. "There's no reason to go off-roading and adding characters that didn't exist. There's plenty of people in theLittle Houseworld that still haven't been talked about on our version of the show."
In addition to Halsey, the cast includes Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls, Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls and Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls.
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