As we move into the first full week of January, I have some fresh details to share regarding a project I have been tracking closely: the highly anticipated Netflix reimagining of Little House on the Prairie. While I previously shared that the talented Alice Halsey would be taking on the legendary role of Laura Ingalls, a brand-new update has surfaced this week regarding her official transition from the daytime world to the frontier.

In an exclusive 2026 preview published by TV Insider on January 3, the production team at Days of Our Lives finally clarified the timeline for Alice’s departure. While I know most of you aren’t regular soap opera viewers, Alice has spent the last year in a breakout role as Rachel Black. Because the show films nearly ten months in advance, it was confirmed this week that a new actress is officially set to take over the role starting in March. This strategic move ensures the character’s storyline continues while freeing Alice up for the significant promotional obligations that come with her major streaming lead.

This development is a clear signal that the Little House on the Prairie rollout is entering its next phase for 2026. With filming in Canada having wrapped up late last year, the focus for the start of this year is shifting toward the launch of the series. As I’ve noted in my previous reporting, this version—led by showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine—is a “kaleidoscopic” and gritty adaptation that sticks closer to the original historical survivalist tone of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books than the classic 1970s television version.

Alice is now preparing to step into the global spotlight as the new face of the Ingalls family. Moving from a daily series to one of the most talked-about reboots in years is a massive career jump, and her schedule is clearly being cleared to make way for the upcoming media blitz. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the official release dates and any teaser trailers that Netflix drops as the countdown to the prairie truly begins.