Dark Winds Nabs Early Renewal Before Season 4 Even Premieres
AMC is doubling down on Dark Winds: the Graham Roland psychological thriller has been renewed for Season 5 ahead of its Season 4 premiere later this month on AMC and AMC+, continuing its adaptation of Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels.
AMC is feeling confident about Dark Winds. The network just ordered Season 5 before Season 4 even airs. That is a flex, and honestly, the show has earned it.
Season 5 is official
Dark Winds will be back for an eight-episode fifth season, with production slated to kick off next month in Santa Fe, New Mexico. AMC is targeting 2027 for the release.
"Over four seasons, Dark Winds has masterfully blended compelling character-driven stories, Navajo culture, spirituality and breathtaking cinematography."
"We can’t wait to share more of this incredible story with audiences across the globe."
Season 4: when, where, and what to expect
Season 4 premieres Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 9 p.m. on AMC and AMC+. New episodes roll out Sundays after that.
This year’s story centers on a missing Navajo girl, pulling Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito out of the safety of Navajo Nation and into the grime and sprawl of 1970s Los Angeles. They’re racing to stop an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime. Production sets up in Santa Fe while the plot heads to vintage LA, which is a fun contrast you do not see every day.
- Main cast: Zahn McClarnon (Lt. Joe Leaphorn), Kiowa Gordon (Jim Chee), Jessica Matten (Bernadette Manuelito)
- Season 4 guest stars: Franka Potente, Isabel DeRoy-Olson, Chaske Spencer, Luke Barnett, Titus Welliver
How we got here
Dark Winds launched in 2022, created by Graham Roland and based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels. It’s a character-first crime thriller that leans into Navajo culture and spirituality and looks great doing it. John Wirth continues as showrunner as the series heads into Season 4 and now Season 5.
If you want to catch up, the first three seasons are streaming on AMC+ and Netflix.