Game Of Thrones Creator George RR Martin's New Project A Go At AMC

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin will executive produce Dark Winds, a new TV series at AMC, based on the Leaphorn & Chee book series by author Tony Hillerman. The series will star Zahn McClarnon (Doctor Sleep, Marvel's Hawkeye), and Kiowa Gordon (The Twilight Saga), with both actors also executive producing the series alongside Martin. Vince Calandra (Sharp Objects, Castle Rock) will act as showrunner and executive producer; Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals, Friday Night Lights) will direct the pilot and also executive produce the series. Tina Elmo, Vince Gerardis, and Robert Redford are also onboard as executive producers.

"I am honored to be asked to star as the lead in this innovative series for AMC and to executive produce," McClarnon said. "To have the support and to be a part of a team which is led by two iconic visionaries as George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford is something to which I've always aspired. I believe as Indigenous people we are in a new era of progress in TV and film representation."

"I read my first Tony Hillerman novel in 1986 while filming in New Mexico and was immediately hooked," Robert Redford adds. "Hillerman is a master storyteller, his writing is full of mystery and suspense, set amidst a background that blends traditional oral stories of Native American culture and landscape. I am happy to partner with George R.R. Martin and AMC on this project, and am especially grateful for the collaboration with President Nez and The Navajo Nation."

The Leaphorn & Chee book series follows two southwest American Navajo tribal police officers named Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, and the various cases they solve. The first book The Blessing Way was published by Tony Hillerman in 1990, and the series is still running to this day, with Stargazer, the 24th Leaphorn & Chee book, be released in April of this years. Tony Hillerman's daughter Anne Hillerman has been writing the series since her father's death, making her debut in the nineteenth installment of the series, Spider Woman's Daughter (2013).

Dark Winds is described as being "a psychological thriller that follows two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest, as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts."

In a new statement, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez praised AMC and the creators of Dark Winds for giving this iconic Native American IP the limelight of a series adaptation:

"We are excited to welcome Chris Eyre, AMC Studios, and the industry's top executives for the production of 'Dark Winds,' part of which will be filmed on the Navajo Nation," said Nez. "I also welcome my friend, Robert Redford, back to our Nation once again. This week, the Navajo Nation lifted more COVID-19 restrictions to welcome visitors and tourists back to Diné Bikéyah. We look forward to welcoming the film crew and we hope this will serve to draw more interest from production companies and draw more tourists to boost our economy and contribute to the 'Buy Navajo, Buy Local' initiative. Thank you to everyone involved in this great venture with the Great Navajo Nation!"

Dark Winds will get six episodes and is slated to premiere on AMC in 2022.