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Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Why Zahn McClarnon ‘broke down' over his ‘Dark Winds' Season 3 arc
He may have started the third season of 'Dark Winds' crawling across the desert in the dead of night with a wounded leg and a dart stuck in his neck, but for Zahn McClarnon's Joe Leaphorn, things can always get worse. 'There's a lot at stake for Joe,' said McClarnon, whose Navajo police lieutenant contends with marital discord, childhood trauma and a pesky FBI investigation. 'He's made some mistakes and the people around him are suffering because of it. Not only can he lose his wife, played by the wonderful Deanna Allison, but he can also lose his freedom.' The AMC series, based on the Leaphorn & Chee novels by Tony Hillerman, follows Navajo Nation tribal cops Leaphorn, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) in the early 1970s as they solve crimes within a white power structure that routinely devalues the lives of Native Americans. McClarnon, speaking from Camel Rock Studios in Santa Fe, N.M., took a break from filming 'Dark Winds'' fourth season to talk about head trips, authenticity and the power of understatement. In the surreal episode 'Ábidoo'niidęę (What He Had Been Told),' Joe gets injected with a ketamine-tipped dart that causes him to revisit a sex abuse trauma from his past. Were those sequences filmed on a closed set? The director, Erica Tremblay, closed the set down for one scene specifically, when I'm dealing with the priest and my young cousin. It was great to be around collaborators who made me feel safe in these vulnerable moments. I could relate, since I've had events in my past very similar to what Joe's going through. Sorry to hear that. No, it's OK. It certainly doesn't define me. But it's the first time in my career where I walked into my producer's office at one point and broke down a little bit because I was having a hard time with those blurred lines between reality and pretending. Joe's also trying to solve the murder of a Navajo boy while Jenna Elfman's FBI agent looks into the mysterious Season 2 death of mining mogul B.J. Vines. When Joe left B.J. Vines in the desert to die, he kind of did [to him] what happened to the Navajo people in the 1800s when the government put them on 'the Long Walk.' A lot of them starved to death, having to walk hundreds of miles in bare feet in the middle of winter. That was Joe's justification: 'OK, you can make it back to civilization on your own.' As a Navajo man, as a principled man, Joe finds himself in turmoil over that decision. You're No. 1 on the call sheet and most of your scenes are pretty intense. How do you decompress? Usually after a season, I go up to my mom's house in Nebraska and hang out with her. I'm 58 years old and a lot more healthy now than I was in my earlier life, when I struggled with addiction. I finally got clean and sober 25 years ago, with help from a lot of people, when I had my big moment of clarity — that I deserved more than what I was doing to myself. I use those experiences in my acting today. Your mom, who's Lakota and your dad, who's white, raised you and your twin brother in Montana near Glacier National Park. How did you find your path into acting? My dad would take us every Friday to films at the drive-in. Seeing 'Three Days of the Condor,' 'Little Fauss and Big Halsy,' 'Dog Day Afternoon' — that sparked something in me, though I didn't realize until later on that it was this desire to express myself. Acting gave me purpose. In 2015, you made a big impression in 'Fargo' as the soft-spoken hitman Hanzee Dent. Like most of your characters, he exudes strength through restraint. That approach clearly works for you. The Al Pacino I saw in 'The Godfather' was so understated, he didn't have to do much. [I admire] that kind of acting. For me, a lot of this stuff is internal and I guess it just comes out through your eyes. I know when I'm being honest and when I'm not being honest, and usually, when I'm 'big,' it's not honest. You recently appeared in 'Reservation Dogs,' co-created by a Seminole Nation citizen, Sterlin Harjo, and you serve as an executive producer on 'Dark Winds.' It must be heartening to make shows that put the Native American experience front and center. It's critical that Native kids are finally seeing themselves on films and TV in an authentic, positive way. With 'Dark Winds,' even though Tony Hillerman was a white guy, we've recontextualized his books with a Native writers' room, Native consultants, Native actors, Native directors. 'Dark Winds' is opening doors for people to see us in a different way than they've ever seen us before.
Business Upturn
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Is Dark Winds season 4 happing? Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on April 28, 2025, 17:30 IST Last updated April 28, 2025, 11:43 IST AMC's Dark Winds has captivated audiences with its gripping neo-noir storytelling, rich Navajo cultural backdrop, and stellar performances. Following the success of its third season, fans are eager to know: Is Dark Winds Season 4 happening? In this, we dive into the confirmation status, release date speculation, cast updates, and potential plot details for the upcoming season. Is Dark Winds Season 4 Confirmed? Yes, Dark Winds Season 4 is officially happening! AMC announced the renewal in February 2025, ahead of the Season 3 premiere on March 9, 2025. Dark Winds Season 4 Release Date Speculation While AMC has not announced an exact premiere date, the network has confirmed that Dark Winds Season 4 will debut in 2026. Given that Season 4 filming began in March 2025, a release in late 2026—potentially between July and September—is likely, aligning with AMC's typical post-production timeline of 4–6 months. However, an earlier release in mid-2026 is possible if production wraps efficiently. Dark Winds Season 4 Expected Cast The core cast is expected to return, continuing the stories of the Navajo Tribal Police officers and their allies. Here's who to expect: Zahn McClarnon as Lt. Joe Leaphorn, the seasoned officer haunted by his past. McClarnon will also make his directorial debut in Season 4, helming the first episode. Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee, Leaphorn's deputy navigating his own personal and professional challenges. Jessica Matten as Bernadette Manuelito, now with the Border Patrol but likely to reconnect with Leaphorn and Chee. Deanna Allison as Emma Leaphorn, Joe's supportive wife. Dark Winds Season 4 Potential Plot As Season 3 is still unfolding (with its finale airing in April 2025), specific plot details for Season 4 remain scarce. However, based on the show's trajectory and source material, we can speculate on key elements: New Case for the Tribal Police: Each season of Dark Winds introduces a central mystery, often drawn from Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn & Chee novels. Season 4 is expected to feature a fresh case, potentially inspired by the novel The Dark Wind , which involves a drug-smuggling plane crash, or another book from the 27-volume series (including Anne Hillerman's contributions). Leaphorn's Inner Struggles: Season 3 sees Joe Leaphorn grappling with guilt over his actions in Season 2, particularly his indirect killing of BJ Vines. This trauma, manifesting as a creature from Navajo folklore, may continue to haunt him, testing his moral and professional resolve. Chee's Journey: Jim Chee's reluctant return to the Navajo reservation in Season 3 sets the stage for further exploration of his identity and future. He may face decisions about staying or leaving again, especially after his emotional goodbye kiss with Bernadette in Season 2. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Dark Winds' Renewed For Season 4 At AMC; Zahn McClarnon To Make Directorial Debut
There will be more Dark Winds on AMC. The network has renewed the thriller for a fourth season. The news comes ahead of the premiere of its third season on March 9. More from Deadline Rob Corddry Joins AMC's Silicon Valley Drama Series From Jonathan Glatzer 'Your Honor' Becomes First Israeli Drama To Be Remade In China Billy Magnussen To Headline AMC's Silicon Valley Drama Series From Jonathan Glatzer Season four of the series, which stars Zahn McClarnon, will begin filming in Santa Fe, New Mexico in March and will air in 2026. Much like season three, it will consist of eight episodes. Seasons one and two consisted of six episodes. The news is not a huge surprise given the boost that Dark Winds seems to have got from its airing on Netflix. The first two seasons of the show are currently on the streamer and after they dropped in August, they remained in Netflix's top ten for over three weeks. Dark Winds also aired on Warner Bros. Discovery's Max as part of a two-month pop-up in 2023. Season four will also feature the directorial debut of star and exec producer McClarnon. The series, which also stars Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten and Deanna Allison, follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon), Jim Chee (Gordon) and Bernadette Manuelito (Matten) of the Navajo Tribal Police solving mysteries on their reservation as it is besieged by increasingly violent crimes in the 1970s. The third season picks up six months after the events of season two and follows Leaphorn and Chee as they investigate the disappearance of two boys, with only an abandoned bicycle and blood-stained patch of ground left in their wake. Meanwhile, Bernadette Manuelito (Matten) attempts to settle into her new life 500 miles from home with the Border Patrol, but stumbles across a conspiracy involving human and drug smuggling with far-reaching implications. It will also feature guest stars including Jenna Elfman as FBI Special Agent Sylvia Washington, Bruce Greenwood as Tom Spenser, Raoul Max Trujillo as Budge, Tonantzin Carmelo as Border Patrol Agent Eleanda Garza, Alex Meraz as Border Patrol Agent Ivan Muños, Terry Serpico as Border Patrol Senior Chief Ed Henry, Derek Hinkey as Shorty Bowlegs, Phil Burke as Michael Halsey, and Christopher Heyerdahl as Dr Reynolds. A Martinez also returns as Scarborough Police Department Acting Chief Gordo Sena and Jeri Ryan returns as Rosemary Vines. The series, which is based on Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn & Chee book series, was created by Graham Roland, who exec produces alongside showrunner John Wirth, McClarnon, Robert Redford, George R.R. Martin, Chris Eyre, Tina Elmo, Jim Chory, Vince Gerardis and Anne Hillerman. 'When we greenlit the first season of Dark Winds, we saw the potential for an authentic and long-running franchise that could live alongside the worlds we were building around The Walking Dead and Anne Rice,' said Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. 'That is exactly what this cast and creative team delivered, and the fans have responded. It starts with Tony Hillerman's unforgettable novels, cared for and attended to by a producing team that includes the likes of Robert Redford, George R. R. Martin, Chris Eyre and our showrunner John Wirth, and – at the center of everything – the truly extraordinary Zahn McClarnon and the entire cast. Fans have embraced this series on AMC/ AMC+ and made it a top 10 show on Netflix for a solid month last fall. There is so much great storytelling yet to come in these expanded third and fourth seasons.' 'I'm looking forward to exploring and inhabiting the character of Joe Leaphorn once again in Season 4, and I'm excited to make my directorial debut on a show that means so much to me,' added Zahn McClarnon. 'I'd like to send my gratitude and appreciation to Kristin Dolan, Dan McDermott, and all of the hard-working folks at AMC Networks for their support and commitment to Dark Winds. And of course, I'm most thrilled to be spending time with this wonderful cast and crew whom I have grown to love.' Season three will simulcast on AMC, BBC America and SundanceTV, as well as stream on AMC+ at 9pm on March 9. Best of Deadline Who Is The Mysterious Caller In 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Episode 2? 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Max? 'The White Lotus' Season 3: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More
