According to the Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has just cast Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights, American Assassin) as the lead for their upcoming Western drama and limited series, American Primeval. The show was given a six episode, straight-to-series order by Netflix and comes from the minds of Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Hancock) and Eric Newman (True Story, Spiderhead), who are also slated to serve as executive producers.
As written by the Hollywood Reporter, American Primeval is described as an ensemble drama and a gritty, realistic deep-dive into the birth of the American west. The show purportedly tells a story of sacrifice and the consequences that come with trying to set up a home in the lawless and untamed wilderness of the American West. American Primeval follows the journey of Isaac (Kitsch), a man haunted by his past who is struggling to grapple with his inner-demons and seeks to find a reason for living in this cruel and unforgiving world.
Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, The Midnight Sky) will write all six episodes of American Primeval and will also executive produce the series alongside Berg and Newman. Newman is also slated to direct all six episodes as part of his first-look deal with Netflix.
American Primeval is just one of many projects under Newman’s overall deal between his Grand Electric banner and Netflix, including Narcos spin-off, Narcos: Mexico, feature Project Power, Kevin Hart thriller True Story, sci-fi film Spiderhead, and Ryan Murphy’s The Watcher. Newman is also set to produce Zack Snyder’s upcoming sci-fi flick, Rebel Moon, as well as two more shows for Netflix: a limited series titled Painkiller and another show titled Griselda.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that American Primeval is set to drop exclusively on Netflix sometime next year, though an official release date has yet to be announced.