American Primeval trailer: Netflix explores American West in survival thriller

In the official trailer for American Primeval, the only goal that matters is survival.

The Netflix series depicts the harsh realities of the American frontier in 1857. American Primeval is a fictionalized dramatization of how culture, religion, and community clashed at a time when several opposing communities fought and died over this land. The six-episode series also focuses on the Native Tribes — including the Shoshone, Paiute, and Ute — who occupied the land and the cruelty they experienced during this harsh time.

American Primeval stars Betty Gilpin as Sara Rowell, a mother seeking a guide across the frontier for her and her son, Devin (Preston Mota). Taylor Kitsch plays Isaac, a traumatized man who reluctantly aids Sara and Devin in their dangerous journey. The rest of the ensemble includes Kim Coates, Jai Courtney, Kyle Bradley Davis, Dane DeHaan, Nick Hargrove, Derek Hinkey, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Shawnee Pourier, Joe Tippett, and Shea Whigham.

Peter Berg is the director and executive producer of American Primeval. Berg and Kitsch have collaborated on numerous projects, including Friday Night Lights, Battleship, and Lone Survivor.

“We are very appreciative that Netflix is trusting us to take a big swing with American Primeval,” Berg told Netflix. “I’m looking forward to taking viewers into the most dynamic, intense, and heart-pounding survival tale humanly possible. We are going into the belly of the beast.”

Mark L. Smith, the screenwriter of The Revenant and The Midnight Sky, penned American Primeval, while Griselda’s Eric Newman served as the showrunner and executive producer. Berg, Kitsch, and Newman previously worked on another Netflix series, 2023’s Painkiller, a harrowing drama about the birth of the opioid crisis.

American Primeval streams on January 9, 2025.