Taylor Kitsch to star in Western series ‘American Primeval’

Dec. 6 (UPI) — Taylor Kitsch will star in the new Western series American Primeval.

Netflix has ordered the limited series from director Pete Berg (Friday Night Lights), executive producer Eric Newman (The Watcher) and writer Mark L. Smith (The Revenant).

Kitsch previously collaborated with Berg on Friday Night Lights, which had a five-season run from 2006 to 2011. Kitsch played Tim Riggins on the NBC series.

American Primeval explores the birth of the American West. The series follows “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.”

Kitsch will play Isaac, “a traumatized man struggling to overcome his demons and find a reason to live in this brutal and punishing world.”

“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.”

“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,” Netflix vice president of scripted series for U.S. and Canada Pete Friedlander said. “We’re excited to explore new depts 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, Berg and Newman are also developing the Netflix series Painkiller.