American Primeval

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Series Details

Also known as驯荒记; Iskonska Amerika; アメリカ、夜明けの刻; Первозданная Америка; Érase una vez el oeste; Hồng Hoang Nước Mỹ
Country United States
Language English
GenreAction, Drama, Thriller, Western
Season1
Episodes6
Release dateJanuary 9, 2025
Running time36–63 minutes
Age ratingTV-MA
StarringTaylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Derek Hinkey, Joe Tippett, Jai Courtney, Preston Mota, Shawnee Pourier, Shea Whigham
Created byMark L. Smith
Directed by Peter Berg
Written byMark L. Smith
Produced byTim King, Robin Le Chanu
Executive producersPeter Berg, Alexander H. Gayner, Eric Newman, Mark L. Smith
Cinematography by Jacques Jouffret
Edited by Hugo Diaz, Jon Otazua, Art Jones
Music byExplosions in the Sky
Casting byRachel Tenner, Angelique Midthunder
Production Design byRenée Reâd
Art Direction byPeter Borck, Matthew Gatlin Liz Kloczkowski, Jarrette Moats
Set Decoration byDavid Hack, Kelly D. Miller, Antonio F. Cordova
Costume Design byVirginia Johnson
Production CompanyGrand Electric
Film 44
Original NetworkNetflix

Cast & Characters

Main

  • Taylor Kitsch as Isaac Reed, a skilled mountain man raised by the Shoshone, haunted by the loss of his wife and son
  • Betty Gilpin as Sara Holloway/Rowell, Devin’s mother who is a wanted fugitive for the murder and robbery of her wealthy husband, fleeing to take her son to his father in Crooks Springs
  • Dane DeHaan as Jacob Pratt, a devoted follower of the LDS Church who seeks a better life in Wyoming with his newlywed wife, Abish
  • Saura Lightfoot-Leon as Abish Pratt, Jacob’s wife and a profound believer in the LDS Church
  • Derek Hinkey as Red Feather, a Shoshone warrior and leader of the Wolf Clan, who despises white Americans for their aggression against his people
  • Joe Tippett as James Wolsey, the leader of the Mormon militia
  • Jai Courtney as Virgil Cutter, a ruthless bounty hunter who leads a group of trappers to find Sara and claim the bounty on her head
  • Preston Mota as Devin Rowell, Sara’s sensitive young son, who has a physical disability that affects his mobility
  • Shawnee Pourier as Two Moons, a rebellious young Indigenous woman who was made mute when her tongue was cut out and who flees her village, seeking refuge with Sara and Devin
  • Shea Whigham as Jim Bridger, the founder and leader of the Fort Bridger trading post

Recurring

  • Lucas Neff as Captain Edmund Dellinger, a U.S. Army officer stationed near Fort Bridger
  • Kyle Davis as Tilly, a combative member of Virgil’s group
  • Tokala Black Elk as Buffalo Run, a proud warrior of the Wolf Clan
  • Nick Hargrove as Sammy Cottrell, Bridger’s right-hand man
  • Dominic Bogart as Frank Cook, a high-ranking member of Mormon militia
  • Alex Fine as Gant, a loyal member of Virgil’s group
  • Kip Weeks as Sergeant-Major Pepper, Dellinger’s second-in-command who acts as a spy for the Mormon militia
  • Andrew P. Logan as Lucas Cutter, Virgil’s younger brother and a local trapper
  • Kim Coates as Brigham Young, the first governor of the Utah Territory and the second president of the LDS Church
  • Irene Bedard as Winter Bird, Red Feather’s mother, Reed’s adoptive mother, and the wise matriarch of the Shoshone
  • Nanabah Grace as Kuttaambo’i, a fierce female warrior of the Wolf Clan
  • Alex Breaux as Wild Bill Hickman, a high-ranking member of the LDS Church
  • Jeremiah Bitsui as Grey Fox, a Native American soldier serving under Dellinger
  • Mosiah Aaron Crowfoot as Young Elk, Red Feather’s son

Storyline

Set in 1857 during the Utah War, the series examines the fight to gain control of the American West and the violent clash between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and cultures in the Utah Territory, centering on the events surrounding the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

About American Primeval TV Series

The six-part series was written by Mark L. Smith and directed by Peter Berg. Berg, via Film 44, and Eric Newman, via Grand Electric, are executive producers. It was commissioned by Netflix in December 2022. Smith is also an executive producer on the series.

Berg has said he was inspired to create the series after reading about the Utah War and the Mountain Meadows Massacre and started researching it. The series incorporates real events, such as the massacre depicted in the pilot, along with the stories of actual people who lived during the 1857 Utah War. Real-life characters such as Jim Bridger, a pioneer caught between warring factions; Brigham Young, the leader of the LDS Church who commanded his army known as the Nauvoo Legion; and Wild Bill Hickman, a lawman and a member of this militia, were incorporated. Berg and Smith met with authors of books about the Massacre and visited the massacre site to try to gain as comprehensive an understanding of how that event happened as possible. Julie O’Keefe served as the show’s Indigenous consultant.

Taylor Kitsch was confirmed in a lead role in late 2022. In January 2023, Dane DeHaan, Jai Courtney, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham, Kyle Davis, Nick Hargrove, Derek Hinkey, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Preston Mota, Shawnee Pourier and Joe Tippett joined the cast.

Filming took place in New Mexico from February 2023, with filming interrupted by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Kitsch suffered a broken foot during the production. Filming ran for 130 days of which only two days were on indoor sets. The New Mexico locations used included the small towns of Cochiti Pueblo and Santa Clara Pueblo, sound stages in Santa Fe, and Pajarito Ski Mountain, as well as the Bonanza Creek Ranch in northern New Mexico and the Charles R Ranch near Santa Fe. The set builders used only tools available in the 1800s to construct its version of Fort Bridger.

Explosions in the Sky, the post-rock band that previously worked with Berg on the Friday Night Lights film (2005) and Lone Survivor (2013), composed the series music. Netflix Music has released the series’ soundtrack.

American Primeval Release Date

American Primeval premiered on Netflix on January 9, 2025.

American Primeval Episodes

EpisodeAir DatePlot
S1.E1Thu, Jan 9, 2025At a desolate outpost, Sara and her son Devin forge new connections while searching for a guide to help them navigate treacherous trails further west.
S1.E2Thu, Jan 9, 2025A frightening encounter takes Sara’s party by surprise. A deeply wounded Jacob forms a posse to find Abish. Isaac reconnects with his past.
S1.E3Thu, Jan 9, 2025Following a lead, Jacob joins a bounty hunter’s search. Brigham Young rides into Fort Bridger. Sara, Devin, and Isaac come face-face with evil.
S1.E4Thu, Jan 9, 2025Red Feather vows to fight, Jacob acts on his suspicions and Abish receives shocking news. En route to Crooks Springs, the elements intensify.
S1.E5Thu, Jan 9, 2025As Devin’s leg worsens, Sara faces a terrifying choice. Brigham Young makes Bridger an offer. Abish delivers a stark warning to the Shoshone.
S1.E6Thu, Jan 9, 2025Ignoring the danger, Isaac sets out to rescue Sara. Jacob’s search for Abish comes to an end. Bridger celebrates before saying good-bye.

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