‘Friday Night Lights’ Alums Taylor Kitsch & Peter Berg to Reunite for ‘American Primeval’ Western at Netflix
Taylor Kitsch will star in a new Netflix western titled American Primeval, directed by Peter Berg. The limited series Kitsch and Berg’s third collaboration, the first being Friday Night Lights, the second Netflix’s Painkiller, another limited series premiering in 2023. It marks their second collaboration with Eric Newman, who executive produced Painkiller. Berg also directed Kitsch in 2012’s Battleship.
Berg describes American Primeval as a “dynamic, intense, and heart-pounding survival tale.” As Netflix’s logline teases: “American Primeval is a raw, adventurous exploration of the birth of the American West. The violent collisions of cultures, religions, and communities as men and women fight and die for control of this new world — for a land they truly believe is their destiny. The ensemble tells a story of the sacrifice all must pay when they choose to enter a lawless and untamed wilderness.”
Kitsch will play Isaac, a traumatized man struggling to overcome his demons and find a reason to live in this brutal and punishing world. The series, written by Mark L. Smith (The Midnight Sky, The Revenant, Overlord), will consist of six episodes, all directed by Berg.
Berg executive produces for Film 44 and Newman for Grand Electric (The Watcher, Narcos, Narcos: Mexico). Smith will also serve as executive producer. American Primeval is the first series from Berg’s first-look deal with Netflix. Newman has an overall deal with the streamer.
“We are very appreciative that Netflix is trusting us to take a big swing with American Primeval,” Berg said in a statement. “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. Cheers to Ted, Bela, Peter, and the entire Netflix team for the support!”
“American Primeval is a portrait of the American West unlike any other – raw, thrilling, action-driven and brought to life by a tapestry of emotionally compelling characters led by the talented Taylor Kitsch,” added Peter Friedlander, Vice President of Scripted Series, US, and Canada, Netflix. “We’re excited to explore new depths of this genre as we grow our creative partnership with the extraordinary Pete Berg at the helm backed by the deft storytelling vision from Eric Newman and Mark L. Smith.”
Kitsch was most recently seen in The Terminal List at Prime Video and Netflix’s The Defeated before that. He co-starred alongside Chadwick Boseman in the 2021 film 21 Bridges, and other TV credits include Waco, True Detective, and the TV movie The Normal Heart.
Netflix also recently green-lit the western series The Abandons by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter.
American Primeval, TBD, Netflix
