Washington, April 15 -- Actor Kevin Costner stepped both behind the scenes as executive producer and in front of the camera as host of the upcoming eight-part docuseries Kevin Costner's The West.

The trailer explores the fierce battles over land that defined the American frontier -- and how its legacy continues to shape the nation today, reported People.

"What do we see when we think of the West?" Costner asked at the beginning of the trailer."

"The West is a place where anything is possible," biographer and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, co-executive producer of the series, said. "It is the essence of the American dream." Historian Ned Blackhawk added, "The American West conjures wonder, possibility, and opportunity."

"Many people h...