As he continues to dominate the genre with multiple projects, adaptation of Michael Blake's Dances with Wolves.

Though not his first in the genre, that movie certainly solidified Costner's penchant for working in the world of Westerns after having previously starred in 1985's Silverado. In the years since, the Oscar winner has kept his genre trend alive and well with everything from 1994's Wyatt Earp, in which he was also a producer, to 2003's Open Range, his third directorial effort, and his Horizon: An American Saga franchise, of which only two of his planned four films have been shot. Costner also starred and executive produced four and a half seasons of Yellowstone before his infamous exit halfway through season 5.

Did You Know: Hatfields & McCoys marked the fourth collaboration between Costner and director Kevin Reynolds after Fandango, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Waterworld.

Costner's Hatfields & McCoys Is Coming To Prime Video

The Western Miniseries Was Costner's First Major TV Project

After a celebrated career on the big screen, Costner found his first major TV role in the Hatfield and McCoy patriarchs, the miniseries was a big hit on its 2012 premiere, scoring largely positive reviews and record ratings for History and cable TV as a whole.

Now, some 12 years later after its initial premiere, Costner's Hatfields and McCoys has found a new streaming home (via CBR). The historical Western miniseries is set to premiere on Prime Video on December 1, putting it roughly six months shy of the three-part event's 13-year anniversary of debuting on History Channel.

For Fans Of:

• Kevin Costner's work in the Western genre
• True-story-based miniseries
• Those who miss the excellent work of Bill Paxton

Why You Should Watch Costner's Hatfields & McCoys Miniseries

A Brilliant Ensemble Cast Mixed With A Sprawling Story Makes For A Historical Thrill Ride

While the miniseries may be nearly 13 years old, there's still a wide variety of reasons why Costner's Hatfields & McCoys is well worth the watch when it comes to Prime Video in December. First and foremost are the performances of the show's cast, particularly that of Costner and Paxton as the central figures of the historical family feud. Both actors scored Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, with the former bringing the statue home, along with the Golden Globe for the same category.

Even beyond Costner and Paxton, Hatfields & McCoys' cast was stacked with a variety of stars, many of whom had a similarly established history in the Western genre, like Deadwood's Powers Boothe. There were also a number of actors who would later become household names for other projects, including future Sandman star Boyd Holbrook as the second-born Hatfield son "Cap", Hunger Games vet Jena Malone as McCoy spouse Nancy and Shameless' Noel Fisher.

With three parts totaling a 290-minute runtime, Hatfields & McCoys is also perfect for those who enjoy sprawling Western stories. Much like Costner's later work on the Horizon movies, the miniseries nicely offers a more nuanced take on the titular families' feud than most prior adaptations have shown, while also still delivering just enough brutal action sequences to keep modern audiences hooked.

How Hatfields & McCoys Compares To Costner's Other Western Genre Efforts

The Miniseries Largely Rises Above His Post-Dances With Wolves Projects

While the aforementioned awards may indicate the miniseries saw nothing but widespread acclaim on its release, Hatfields & McCoys wasn't exactly a perfectly reviewed show. With 24 reviews calculated, the historical Western holds a 71% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating a generally positive reception, albeit with a fair number of detractors, who largely criticized its pacing as being dull. Audiences, on the other hand, were far more favorable by comparison, awarding it a 93% rating.

As far as Costner's general Western genre career, Hatfields & McCoys sits reasonably high. Even after 34 years, Dances With Wolves holds the top spot with its 87% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the neo-Western thriller Let Him Go comes in at a close second with 85% and Open Range at the No. 3 spot, while on the small screen, Yellowstone reigns supreme with four of its five seasons clocking in over 80%, including season 3's 100%. Check out how Hatfields & McCoys compares to Costner's other Western efforts in the chart below, in order of release:

As made clear by the chart above, audiences are pretty much always in of Costner's Western genre efforts, even if Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1's box office didn't show it. However, considering the first of his four-part Western epic went on to become a streaming hit on its Max debut, it'll be interesting to see if Hatfields & McCoys ends up climbing Prime Video's charts in a similar fashion as fans of the filmmaker look for other genre efforts from the Oscar winner while waiting for Chapter 2's release.

Source: CBR