American Primeval is Netflix’s new gritty Western drama series with Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin leading a stellar cast. The series is a fictionalised dramatisation and examination of the violent collision of culture, religion, and community as men and women fight and die to keep or control this land.
Set in America in 1857, up is down, pain is everywhere, innocence and tranquillity are losing the battle to hatred and fear. Peace is the shrinking minority, and very few possess grace — even fewer know compassion. There is no safe haven in these brutal lands, and only one goal matters: survival.
American Primeval stars Taylor Kitsch (John Carter), Betty Gilpin (GLOW), Dane DeHaan (Oppenheimer), Saura Lightfoot-Leon (Hoard), Derek Hinkey (Walker: Independence), Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown), Jai Courtney (Kaleidoscope), Preston Mota (Asteroid City), Shawnee Pourier (Stranger Things), and Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire).
The series is directed by Pete Berg (Friday Night Lights) with Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, Twisters) as the series writer, creator, and executive producer.
The six-episode series drops 9 January on Netflix.
More about the cast:
- Taylor Kitsch as Isaac, a traumatized man struggling to overcome his demons
- Kim Coates (Bad Blood, Sons of Anarchy) as Brigham Young, the leader of the Mormon Church and a man who will do whatever it takes to secure the survival of his persecuted followers — including using his Mormon army, the Nauvoo Legion.
- Jai Courtney (Kaleidoscope, The Suicide Squad) as Virgil Cutter. Watch out for this trapper and bounty hunter who likes to take advantage of the naivete of others.
- Kyle Bradley Davis (American Horror Story, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as Tilly, one of Cutter’s trappers. He’s a nasty, dangerous man who loves being feared and isn’t afraid to kill.
- Dane DeHaan (Oppenheimer, The Staircase) as Jacob Pratt, a Mormon leading his family across the frontier to join other settlers in Utah
- Betty Gilpin (Gaslit, GLOW) as Sara Rowell. Fort Bridger is an intense place, but Sara Rowell never loses her composure and grace. She’s seeking a guide across the frontier for her and her son, Devin.
- Preston Mota (Asteroid City) as Devin Rowell. Sara’s son, Devin, is a sensitive soul with a curious mind.
- Nick Hargrove (Devotion) as Cottrell. This young man helps out around Fort Bridger and serves as Jim Bridger’s right hand.
- Derek Hinkey (Walker: Independence, Horizon) as Red Feather, the leader of a renegade group of Crow warriors known as the Wolf Clan.
- Saura Lightfoot-Leon (Hoard, Masters of the Air) as Abish. Contrary to her religious beliefs, this Mormon woman isn’t content to be seen as the property of her husband, Jacob.
- Shawnee Pourier (Stranger Things, Dark Winds) as Two Moons. After fleeing her village, the strong-willed Two Moons is determined to survive at all costs.
- Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown, The Morning Show) as James Wolsey. This Mormon man leads a militia of men who don’t possess the moral code they claim they do.
- Shea Whigham (Joker, Boardwalk Empire) as Jim Bridger. The grizzled realist runs his namesake fort, a popular stopping point for settlers and trappers.
