Eric Bana is no stranger to solving murders in the great outdoors, but his latest scenic true crime tale is a departure from the Australian-set “The Dry” and “Force of Nature: The Dry 2,” as he dons a US National Parks Service uniform to solve a brutal murder in Yosemite.
That’s the premise of “Untamed,” a new limited series that’s set to hit Netflix on July 17. Bana plays Kyle Turner, an Investigative Services Branch agent of the National Parks Service, tracking a killer in the sprawling wilderness of Yosemite National Park’s iconic valleys and forests.
The case of a killer loose in the park is a mystery that only Turner can solve, but like any true on-screen detective, he’s got dark secrets of his own that might prove to be as deadly as any murder.
The series is also the latest work of co-showrunner Mark L. Smith, who has previously penned “American Primeval” and “The Revenant.” In an interview with Tudum about the upcoming series, Smith said, “Everyone thinks of Yosemite as this beautiful place with all the vistas and all the scenery, but we were trying to touch on the dangers that are just beyond that.
“I love stripping all the cheats away, stripping all the more modern tools that people can use. It really gets down to the character and what they can find within themselves.”
Bana — who is also an executive producer on the series — isn’t the only star on the cast, He’s being joined by Sam Neill (“The Twelve”) as chief park ranger Paul Scouter, Rosemarie DeWitt (“The Staircase”) as Turner’s ex-wife Jill Bodwin, Lily Santiago (“La Brea”) as LA cop-turned rookie ranger Naya Vasquez and Wilson Bethel (“Daredevil: Born Again”) as former army ranger, now wildlife management officer Shane Macguire.
“Untamed” will release on Netflix on July 17, watch the trailer below.