Dark Winds is a phycological crime thriller from AMC (the first two seasons are now available to watch on Netflix), based on novels written by the late Tony Hillerman. These novels take place on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, and the show features Indigenous crew members, writers, actors, and directors.
The two biggest names involved on the show, however, are a couple of well-known Hollywood icons: actor and director Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, the author behind the Song of Ice and Fire series. While both have been around the entertainment industry for a very long time, they usually are associated with completely different types of projects.
How did George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford get involved in Dark Winds?
Martin moved to New Mexico in the late 1970s and eventually met Hillerman. According to James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter, the two authors became good friends. Martin fell in love with Hillerman's work and saw similarities between it and the kinds of fantasy books that he wrote, and became interested in the culture and spiritualism of the Navajo nation as highlighted in the books.
Redford also fell in love with the books, and in 1986 he purchased the screen rights. For decades, Redford tried to put together various plans to bring the books to the screen, but it was hard to get projects featuring Native Americans greenlit. Over the years, a few attempts were made to translate some of the books into movies, but the budgets were not big enough to ensure the level of quality Redford and company were after.
In 2015, Redford invited Martin, whom he'd never met, to a meeting with Indigenous director Chris Eyre. Redford knew Martin was a fan of the books and a friend of Hillerman's, and thought his influence in Hollywood might help bring the project to fruition. Martin was happy to join forces.
HBO developed Dark Winds at first, but passed on sending it into production, despite Martin's presence at HBO thanks to the Game of Thrones franchise. HBO allowed them to shop the show around, and eventually AMC decided to move forward with it.
Now, two seasons have been aired and are currently streaming on Netflix, potentially exposing this terrific drama to a much audience. The third season has been filmed will air once production is finished. According to Native News Online, Dark Winds is a top 10 show on Netflix, with the first season getting viewed for 10 million hours during its first week of availability.
In an interview with Rebecca Keegan of The Hollywood Reporter, Martin explained why he thought it was important that Dark Winds get made:
"In some ways, these are classic whodunits. Someone is found dead, and the detectives have to figure out who did it. But the biggest thing really was the setting. If you drive to the western part of [New Mexico] where the Navajo reservation is, there are these amazing vistas where you might not see another car for an hour, and you can see forever in all directions. It’s another world, and Tony brought you into that world and into the Navajo culture and the culture of the other Indian tribes in the area. Some of the mysteries took Joe Leaphorn to the Zuni tribe or to the Hopi, or the Taos Indians, all of whom have really different customs. They’re no more alike than Swedes and Italians. Tony brought that vividly to life."George R.R. Martin
The producers have done a great job of translating the books from page to screen. Both give audiences a look at the Navajo culture and the unique place in history the Navajo had in the 1970s. Martin and Redford should be proud of their involvement in such a top-notch program that explores a group of people that seldom gets exposure in Hollywood.
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