AMC announced today that they have renewed Dark Winds for a third season, just weeks after the second season of the crime drama wrapped.
Based on the Leaphorn & Chee novels by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds takes place in the 1970s Southwest and follows two Navajo police officers, Leephorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Chee (Kiowa Gordon). The series was created by Graham Roland with John Wirth as showrunner. Roland and Wirth also serve as executive producers alongside Zahn McClarnon, Anne Hillerman, Chris Eyre, Vince Gerardis, Tina Elmo, George R.R. Martin, and Robert Redford.
“We started this journey with very high hopes for this series, given the remarkable source material and extraordinary creative team behind it, and it has delivered on every level,” said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “From the beloved novels, to an incredibly collaborative producing team that includes Robert Redford, George R. R. Martin, showrunner John Wirth and star Zahn McClarnon, to the entire cast and crew, there is so much storytelling yet to come in this universe. Thanks to the fans for embracing this series and the critics for celebrating and shining a light on it.”
The second season of Dark Skies found Lt. Joe Leaphorn reuniting with Jim Chee, his former deputy turned private eye, “when their separate cases bring them together in pursuit of the same suspect. They find themselves in the high desert of Navajo Country chasing a killer who’s turned his sights on them to protect a secret that rips open old wounds and challenges Leaphorn’s moral and professional code. With the help of Sgt. Manuelito (Jessica Matten) and Valencia County Sheriff Gordo Sena, Leaphorn and Chee must thwart their would-be assassin and restore balance not only to their own lives, but to the reservation that depends on them.“
The series is filmed in and around Native American lands with the full support of the Navajo Nation, and more than 90% of the production team for the second season were Indigenous. While fans may be relieved that Dark Winds has been renewed, they do have a little bit of a wait ahead of them as the third season isn’t expected to premiere until early 2025.