The show is based on Tony Hillerman’s long running Leaphorn & Chee mystery novels. 

American streamer AMC have dropped a first trailer for their upcoming thriller series Dark Winds. Adapted from Tony Hillierman’s Leaphorn & Chee series, about the investigations of the Navajo Tribal Police.

Here’s the premise of Dark Winds:

Set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, Dark Winds follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Tribal Police as he is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. The closer he digs to the truth, the more he exposes the wounds of his past.

He is joined on this journey by his new deputy, Jim Chee. Chee, too, has old scores to settle from his youth on the reservation. Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other and their own personal demons on the path to salvation.

The show stars Zahn McClarnon (Westworld, Fargo) as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn with Kiowa Gordon (Roswell, New Mexico) as Jim Chee. In the wider cast, there’s Jessica Matten, Noah Emmerich (Space Force), Deanna Allison and Rainn Wilson (The Office, Discovery). In the trailer, the latter sports an impressive set of sideburns!

Dark Winds comes from showrunner Vince Calandra (Castle Rock), who executive produces alongside director Chris Eyre. Also listed as executive producers are Graham Roland, Tina Elmo and Vince Gerardis, as well as a couple of highly trumpeted names – George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford.

Bags of potential

Tony Hillerman’s book series has been running since 1970 and he wrote eighteen stories. Before his death in 2008, daughter Anne Hillerman took over and she has contributed a further five.

The Dark Winds television series is not the first adaptation from this storytelling world. Lou Diamond Phillips starred as Jim Chee in a 1991 movie The Dark Winds. While that failed to set the box office alight, three television movies followed in 2002; Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits (2003) and A Thief of Time (2004) starred Adam Beach as Chee and Wes Studi as Leaphorn. Interestingly, executive producer Robert Redford had a hand in all those previous adaptations too.

AMC

In the US, the show lands at AMC on the 12th of June, with a double-episode drop and weekly episodes on Sundays thereafter. AMC+ subscribers get advance access to each new episode a week ahead of the schedule.

While it’s not yet confirmed, Dark Winds is likely to appear on AMC’s UK channel, part of BT’s TV offering. If the show pops up anywhere else we’ll let you know.