Kevin Costner has spent much of his career redefining what the Western looks like on screen, and now one of his most personal projects is

getting a second life on streaming. Kevin Costner’s The West, the eight-part documentary series fronted and executive produced by the

Oscar winner, is heading to Kanopy this January — giving viewers a chance to revisit (or discover) his most clear-eyed examination of the American frontier yet.

 

 

Costner’s association with the genre has only deepened in recent years. After decades of Western classics like Dances With Wolves and Open Range, his role as John Dutton on Yellowstone turned him into a television icon for a new generation. That chapter ended abruptly when Costner departed the Paramount+ series to focus on his ambitious Horizon film saga, with John Dutton written off. Since then, Yellowstone has wrapped its original run, even as multiple spin-offs continue to expand the franchise.

 

 

But The West represents something different — less mythmaking, more excavation. Executive produced alongside renowned historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the series promises “a fresh look at the epic history of the American West,” focusing on the brutal struggle over land and power, and how those conflicts continue to shape America today.

As Costner explained in recent comments, this stage of his career is about honesty — both personal and creative.

That philosophy runs directly through The West. Rather than leaning into the familiar romantic imagery of cowboys silhouetted against endless horizons, Costner is interested in what those images often left out.

Kevin Costner has spent much of his career redefining what the Western looks like on screen, and now one of his most personal projects is getting a second life on streaming. Kevin Costner’s The West, the eight-part documentary series fronted and executive produced by the Oscar winner, is heading to Kanopy this January — giving viewers a chance to revisit (or discover) his most clear-eyed examination of the American frontier yet.

Costner’s association with the genre has only deepened in recent years. After decades of Western classics like Dances With Wolves and Open Range, his role as John Dutton on Yellowstone turned him into a television icon for a new generation. That chapter ended abruptly when Costner departed the Paramount+ series to focus on his ambitious Horizon film saga, with John Dutton written off. Since then, Yellowstone has wrapped its original run, even as multiple spin-offs continue to expand the franchise.

But The West represents something different — less mythmaking, more excavation. Executive produced alongside renowned historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the series promises “a fresh look at the epic history of the American West,” focusing on the brutal struggle over land and power, and how those conflicts continue to shape America today.

As Costner explained in recent comments, this stage of his career is about honesty — both personal and creative.

That philosophy runs directly through The West. Rather than leaning into the familiar romantic imagery of cowboys silhouetted against endless horizons, Costner is interested in what those images often left out.