Fans React to ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Reboot Casting New Laura Ingalls
Earlier this year, Netflix confirmed that it was rebooting beloved ’70s drama Little House on the Prairie. Now, it has announced its first cast member: 10-year-old Alice Halsey will be playing Laura Ingalls, the role that Melissa Gilbert made famous. Gilbert was also 10 years old when she was cast on the original series in 1974.
Fans have started to voice their opinions on the casting choice and not everyone is happy with the news of a reboot.
One fan wrote on Instagram, “Won’t be watching. You can’t improve on perfection.” Another fan on Reddit admitted that they are going to “angry watch” the show while another shared, “Supposedly this new version will adhere closely to the original books, which the original TV series veered wildly away from, especially in the later seasons. I hope it is more visually and historically accurate than the ’70s show was. No actors in sorta-maybe period clothing with contemporary makeup and hairstyles, please.”
View this post on Instagram
However, Gilbert herself seems to approve of the casting choice! She shared the news, alongside a picture of Halsey on her Instagram page. She wrote, “And…here she is. Wising them and @thealicehalsey all the luck in the world!!”
Fans began to comment on her post and one shared, “Awww she is so adorable and she will carry your legacy as our Laura Ingalls Wilder so perfectly. Can’t wait to go back to this tv show who has been with me my all life.”
Another said, “Saw a photo of her and instantly felt transported back to Walnut Grove and my memories of your early years on Little House. How exciting! Glad the story is coming back. We read the books to our sons, now in their 20s and to my amazement they enjoyed The Long Winter the most (over Farmer Boy). How exciting for your family to get to see the story anew.”
Michael Becker/©Apple TV+/Everett Collection
Halsey has been acting since she was very young, appearing in Lessons in Chemistry, Kindergarten: The Musical, Night Court and Days of Our Lives.
Netflix wrote about the character Laura Ingalls, “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.”
As of now, no other cast members have been confirmed and there is no word on when the new series may premiere. What do you think of this casting choice and the reboot? Let us know in the comments!
Remind 
Favorite TV Families
April 2019
Celebrate the best of the best of TV families!
Buy This Issue