Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, and more enter a brutal culture war as the first images and release date for American Primeval are revealed

Last Updated on November 1, 2024

I’m no historian, but America circa 1857 was a brutal, eye-opening time in the nation’s history. During these dark days, blood and bodies enriched the soil while poisoning the minds and hearts of people fighting to survive. Today, Pete Berg (Very Bad Things, Lone Survivor, The Last Seduction) takes audiences back to a time of strife for Netflix‘s latest limited series, American Primeval. The six-episode series hails from The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith, with Berg directing and executive producing. On Tuesday, Netflix unveiled the show’s January 9, 2025, release date and first-look images for the upcoming series, depicting an oppressive atmosphere with bone-crunching combat, unions crumbling to pieces, and non-negotiable alliances paving a road to ruin.

Here’s the official logline for American Primeval courtesy of Netflix:

This is America…1857. Up is down, pain is everywhere, and innocence and tranquility 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 is a fictionalized dramatization and examination of the violent collision of culture, religion, and community as men and women fight and die to keep or control this land.

From director/executive producer Pete Berg, writer/creator/executive producer Mark L. Smith, and executive producers Eric Newman and Alex Gayner, America Primeval features an all-star cast, including Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Derek Hinkey, Joe Tippett, Jai Courtney, Preston Mota, Shawnee Pourier, and Shea Whigham. Julie O’Keefe is an Indigenous Cultural Consultant and Project Advisor. Artisans include: Hovia Edwards-Yellowjohn (Shoshone Bannock-Navajo), Pete Yellowjohn (Shoshone Bannock), Georgette Running Eagle (Shoshone Bannock), Robert Perry (of Bannock Shoshone descent), Kugee Supernaw (Quapaw and Osage) and Son Supernaw (Quapaw-Osage and Caddo), Joe Cheshawalla (Osage) Debbie Cheshawalla (Choctaw), Molly Murphy Adams (Oglala Lakota).

American Primeval invites a spoil of guest stars to participate in the drama, including Kim Coates (Brigham Young), Lucas Neff (Captain Dellinger), Kyle Davis (Tilly), Tokala Black Elk (Buffalo Run), Nick Hargrove (Cottrell), Irene Bedard (Winter Bird), Nanabah Grace (Kuttaambo’i), Alex Breaux (Wild Bill Hickman), Dominic Bogart (Cook), Alex Fine (Gant), Kip Weeks (Pepper), and Jeremiah Bitsui (Grey Fox).

With American Primeval, Netflix aims to start 2025 with something raw, emotional, and harsh. The gallery of first-look images paints a stark picture of the series, and despite their oppressive nature, we’re excited to see a trailer and dig into the series on January 9, 2025.