Dark Winds Renewed for Season 5 Ahead of Season 4 Premiere on AMC
- Je-Ree
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
AMC is keeping the winds blowing. Ahead of its upcoming Season 4 premiere, the network has officially renewed its critically acclaimed drama Dark Winds for a fifth season.
The early renewal underscores AMC’s confidence in the noir thriller, which has quietly become one of the most consistently praised dramas on television. Season 4 of Dark Winds premieres Sunday, February 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC and AMC+, with new episodes airing weekly.
Season 5 will consist of eight hour-long episodes and is set to begin filming in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in March, with a planned debut in 2027.
Executive produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, Dark Winds holds the rare distinction of maintaining a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score for each of its first three seasons, cementing its reputation as both a critical darling and a fan favorite.
“Over four seasons, Dark Winds has masterfully blended compelling character-driven stories, Navajo culture, spirituality and breathtaking cinematography,” said Dan McDermott, Chief Content Officer of AMC Networks and President of AMC Studios. “We are elated to continue the journey alongside showrunner John Wirth and the incomparable Zahn McClarnon.”
McClarnon, who stars as Lt. Joe Leaphorn and serves as an executive producer, also makes his television directorial debut in Season 4. “It’s such a privilege to embody the character of Joe Leaphorn,” McClarnon said, adding that he’s excited to return to Santa Fe to continue telling a story that “means so much to all of us.”
Set on the Navajo Nation in 1972, Dark Winds follows Leaphorn, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) as members of the Navajo Tribal Police confronting increasingly violent crimes rooted in both modern corruption and cultural history. The series is based on the iconic Leaphorn & Chee novels by Tony Hillerman.
Season 4 shifts the action beyond the Navajo Nation, centering on the search for a missing Navajo girl that pulls Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito into the dangerous underworld of 1970s Los Angeles, where they race to stop an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.
The upcoming season also boasts an impressive slate of guest stars, including Franka Potente, Chaske Spencer, Luke Barnett, Titus Welliver, and the return of A. Martinez.
With a fifth season already secured before Season 4 even airs, Dark Winds continues to stand as one of AMC’s strongest prestige offerings one that blends classic crime storytelling with a perspective rarely seen on television.