Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. News

American Primeval trailer: Netflix explores American West in survival thriller

Add as a preferred source on Google
A man on a horse points a gun with a woman next to him in American Primeval.
Matt Kennedy / Netflix

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

American Primeval | Official Trailer | Netflix

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

Dan Girolamo
Former Entertainment Writer
Dan is a passionate and multitalented content creator with experience in pop culture, entertainment, and sports. Throughout…
3 underrated movies you can watch for free this weekend (August 14-16)
You can stream these three movies completely free!
smiley-face-2007-movie-poster

If your weekend plans involve sinking into the couch and wondering what to do next, consider this your rescue package. This week's lineup comes with a bonus - every single movie here is completely free to stream. I dug through Tubi and Pluto TV's libraries and found a pothead comedy, a Swedish vampire film that reinvented the genre, and a Korean horror movie that still gets talked about years later. So, add these free films to your Weekend watchlist right away!

We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free movies, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.

Read more
3 overlooked TV series on Prime Video you should watch this weekend (August 14-16)
These hidden gems on Prime Video with high ratings are perfect for you weekend binge-watch.
Goliath-series-on-prime-video

Prime Video's library goes far beyond the algorithm-driven hits everyone already knows about. I dug through some older, quieter gems this week, ranging from the chaotic world of a New York orchestra to a burnt-out lawyer taking down corporate giants and a slice-of-life comedy that deserved a much longer run. Whether you are looking for something dramatic, funny, or deeply human, these Prime Video titles worth adding to your watchlist this weekend.

We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free movies, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.

Read more
Apple TV just got a bunch of classic movies, and they’re all worth a rewatch
Apple is quietly adding beloved films to its streaming library, giving subscribers plenty more than just its original shows and movies
Apple TV on an iPad.

Apple TV has quietly stumbled onto a pretty good streaming strategy: make great original shows and movies, then occasionally throw some genuinely great older movies into the mix. As part of its latest content drop, Apple TV has added a collection of classic and popular movies that subscribers can watch without paying an additional rental fee. The selection varies by region, but titles spotted so far include Arrival, The Martian, E.T., Gone Girl, Zodiac, Titanic, The Sixth Sense, The Bourne Identity, and Catch Me If You Can.

This isn't exactly filler content

Read more