The upcoming Western series American Primeval focuses on the interconnected lives of a group of people from multiple cultural backgrounds as they fight to survive on the American Frontier. The series combines gritty realism with historical authenticity and boasts an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Jai Courtney and Shea Whigham. Launching on Netflix in early 2025, American Primeval will shed light on the violent nature of man in the mid-1800s.
In an interview with Game Rant, director Peter Berg discussed the thought process behind the show, and how he initially conceived it. The experienced director, known for numerous movies such as Spenser Confidential and Patriots’ Day, talked about the care and attention that went into the project, ensuring the historical aspects were portrayed as accurately as possible. He also touched on the importance of having good consultants on hand to assist with research.
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Peter Berg on the Idea Behind American Primeval
TV shows and movies that take place in an older time period are often walking a tightrope. Attempting to portray historical accuracy while telling a compelling story can be a tough balance to strike, but when these movies and shows are done well, it can help to engage the audience, almost physically transporting them to the desired period. Movies like Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant are fine examples of this. Mark L. Smith co-wrote The Revenant‘s screenplay, and Berg explained that, as a friend of his, it was Smith who wrote the screenplay and helped to come up with the concept for American Primeval:
“Something that Mark and I were both talking about was the current state of the world and the amount of violence that we were seeing every day in the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, etc.
We wanted to do something to sort of explore what it is that makes men want to be violent against each other, so often, in so many different ways, and it was sort of our desire to explore violence—the themes of violence—with our desire to do something in a period environment that led us to 1857, Southern Utah, and
American Primeval
.”
Historical Accuracy Was One of American Primeval’s Core Aims
To aid with the show’s accuracy, Berg not only had a cast of talented actors who each did their own research, but he also had a team of consultants on hand to support. The likes of Indigenous Consultant Julie O’Keefe helped to ensure that each culture was portrayed as accurately as possible, including numerous Native American dialects. Berg explained:
“People like the extremely talented Julie O’Keefe were very helpful. There was just so much that I didn’t know, and I was able to lean on an incredible group of consultants, not just with the Native Americans, but with the Mormon representation, and with the military representation.
We had the curator of the Fort Bridger Museum, who was out there every day making sure that I understood everything I needed to understand about what it meant to be a mountain man in Wyoming in 1857.”
Mid-1800s America was a particularly dangerous place, with numerous cultures vying for survival and land, and attempting to assert dominance over one another. This makes it easy to see why this setting was perfect for a show that has violence as a central theme. With the experienced Berg at the helm, and a cast brimming with talent, American Primeval is primed to be a hit with Western fans when it arrives early next year.
American Primeval will stream on Netflix on January 9, 2025.
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