As Netflix prepares to introduce a new generation to Little House on the Prairie, one of the show’s stars is offering reassurance to longtime fans who may be hesitant about another Hollywood remake.

The streaming service’s reimagined adaptation premieres July 9 and follows the beloved Ingalls family—Charles, Caroline, Laura, Mary, and Carrie—as they build a life on the American frontier. While many viewers fondly remember the iconic 1970s television series starring Michael Landon, the new version is closer to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s original books.

Warren Christie, who plays John Edwards in the series, understands why some fans are skeptical.

“I understand [the concern], because truthfully, it does happen sometimes,” Christie told Crosswalk Headlines, acknowledging that remakes of beloved classics do not always live up to expectations.

Still, he believes this adaptation is different because the creative team has remained faithful to the source material.

“We’re based on the books – so if you’re a fan of the books, I think you’re going to be a fan of the show,” he said.

Christie praised showrunner and executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine as a devoted fan of Wilder’s stories who “also happens to be brilliant and knows how to make great television.” He also credited executive producers Joy Gorman Wettels and Trip Friendly, whose family company owns the rights to the original television series.

“It wasn’t done kind of willy-nilly,” Christie said, emphasizing that the team approached the project with deep respect for the franchise.

More than 50 years have passed since Michael Landon’s Little House on the Prairie first premiered, and Christie hopes the new series will introduce its timeless messages to today’s families.

“We’re trying to introduce a new generation,” he said.

He believes viewers who cherished either the books or the classic television series will recognize the values that made the story endure for decades.

“For the purists that loved the original, I think if you give it a chance, you’re going to really love it,” Christie said. “I think it’s sweeping, I think it’s beautiful, I think it’s stunning, and I think more importantly, the themes that you loved… about community and hope, strength in the human spirit, people coming together… they’re absolutely core to this.”

Those themes of hope, family, perseverance, and community have long resonated with Christian audiences, making Little House on the Prairie a rare example of wholesome entertainment that appeals across generations.

Christie, himself a father, says that’s one of the series’ greatest strengths.

“We’re either watching a show with our kids that we don’t love, or else we’re watching a show that maybe they can’t see,” he said. “But to be able to go a little bit old school and bring everybody around the same TV and share that moment… I don’t think there’s enough of it.”

With Season 2 already in production, Netflix is betting that the enduring values of faith, family, and frontier resilience will once again find an audience—both among lifelong fans and viewers discovering the Ingalls family’s story for the first time.