Betty Gilpin and Taylor Kitsch for AMERICAN PRIMEVAL

The potential dangers are boundless in the upcoming limited series American Primeval coming to Netflix Jan. 9.

Starring Taylor Kitsch (Painkiller, The Terminal List, Waco), the raw, adventurous exploration of the birth of the American West comes to life in the six-episode series. Here’s everything you need to know so far about the grueling journey West.

What’s American Primeval about?

This is America, 1857. Up is down, pain is everywhere, 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’s no safe haven in these wild 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 for control of this world. The ensemble tells a story of the sacrifice all must pay when they choose to enter the lawless and brutal frontier.

MATT KENNEDY/NETFLIX

“We are very appreciative that Netflix is trusting us to take a big swing withAmerican Primeval,” director and executive producer Pete Berg (Friday Night Lights, Lone Survivor) 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.”

MATT KENNEDY/NETFLIX

American Primeval is Berg’s first project under his first-look deal with Netflix and is written by Mark L. Smith (The Midnight Sky, The Revenant, Overlord), with Eric Newman (Griselda, Narcos, The Watcher) serving as showrunner and executive producer. This also marks the second collaboration between Berg, Newman, and Kitsch, who worked together on the limited series Painkiller, which premiered on service in 2023.

Who’s in the cast of American Primeval?

The cast of American Primeval includes:

• Taylor Kitsch as Isaac, a traumatized man struggling to overcome his demons
• Kim Coates (Bad Blood, Sons of Anarchy) as Brigham Young, the leader of the Mormon Church and a man who will do whatever it takes to secure the survival of his persecuted followers — including using his Mormon army, the Nauvoo Legion.
• Jai Courtney (Kaleidoscope, The Suicide Squad) as Virgil Cutter. Watch out for this trapper and bounty hunter who likes to take advantage of the naivete of others.
• Kyle Bradley Davis (American Horror Story, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as Tilly, one of Cutter’s trappers. He’s a nasty, dangerous man who loves being feared and isn’t afraid to kill.
• Dane DeHaan (Oppenheimer, The Staircase) as Jacob Pratt, a Mormon leading his family across the frontier to join other settlers in Utah
• Betty Gilpin (Gaslit, GLOW) as Sara Rowell. Fort Bridger is an intense place, but Sara Rowell never loses her composure and grace. She’s seeking a guide across the frontier for her and her son, Devin.
• Preston Mota (Asteroid City) as Devin Rowell. Sara’s son, Devin, is a sensitive soul with a curious mind.
• Nick Hargrove (Devotion) as Cottrell. This young man helps out around Fort Bridger and serves as Jim Bridger’s right hand.
• Derek Hinkey (Walker: Independence, Horizon) as Red Feather, the leader of a renegade group of Crow warriors known as the Wolf Clan.
• Saura Lightfoot-Leon (Hoard, Masters of the Air) as Abish. Contrary to her religious beliefs, this Mormon woman isn’t content to be seen as the property of her husband, Jacob.
• Shawnee Pourier (Stranger Things, Dark Winds) as Two Moons. After fleeing her village, the strong-willed Two Moons is determined to survive at all costs.
• Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown, The Morning Show) as James Wolsey. This Mormon man leads a militia of men who don’t possess the moral code they claim they do.
• Shea Whigham (Joker, Boardwalk Empire) as Jim Bridger. The grizzled realist runs his namesake fort, a popular stopping point for settlers and trappers.