Ever since the announcement of a Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, that would be coming to HBO Max in 2022, fans have been waiting with bated breath for updates. George RR Martin will be busier than ever after it was announced that five other spin-offs were in the works at HBO as well. However, the author has just announced that he is also executive producing a Western noir thriller series with AMC.
When HBO smash hit Game of Thrones first aired, it took the world by storm as one of the greatest series of all time.
The announcement of a spin-off series was inevitable, although audiences have been disheartened that HBO decided not to move forward with the spin-off show Bloodmoon.
Another prequel series, House of the Dragon, which was greenlit in 2019, is currently underway filming and fans are excited about returning to Westeros.
However, despite a further five spin-offs in the works at HBO, author George RR Martin will be producing another series titled Dark Winds, alongside Robert Redford.
In a Deadline report, it was announced that Martin’s new deal with AMC would include the adaptation of the Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman.
Martin will serve as an executive producer of the Western show, alongside creator and producer Graham Roland, Redford, Tina Elmo, and showrunner Vince Calandra.
Redford has previously produced two other adaptations of Hilleman’s novels, The Dark Wind and Skinwalkers.
Chris Eyre will also produce the series, as well as directing the pilot episode.
Dark Winds stars Westworld’s Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon as Navajo Tribal Police Officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee respectively.
The upcoming series has received a six-episode order from AMC and is expected to be released in 2022.
Deadline also revealed the plot of the series will follow “two Navajo police officers, Leephorn and Chee, in the 1970s Southwest”.
The pair will “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”.
The network has promised viewers an accurate representation of Native Americans and the show will have Native American writers in the show’s writer’s room.
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Martin will certainly have his hands full once Dark Winds begins filming, especially as filming is already underway for House of the Dragon.
In a statement about Dark Winds, Martin said: “Tony Hillerman was one of the greats, as every mystery reader knows. Down here in the Southwest, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are as iconic as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Philip Marlowe, and Travis McGee.
“When my friends Robert Redford and Chris Eyre asked me to help bring Leaphorn and Chee back to television, I could not agree fast enough,” the author continued.
“Thanks to AMC for making it possible. Tony Hillerman wrote a lot of amazing books, and it is our dream to adapt as many of them as we can,” Martin added.
Martin had previously spoken to TV station WTTW Chicago to give fans a few updates on the forthcoming spin-off.
He said: “Now I’m developing more shows for HBO, we have a new show — House of the Dragon that’s coming down the pike. [It’s] filming right now over in London and Cornwall over in England.
“It’ll probably be on next spring, I guess. But then I’m developing other shows for them,” the author remarked.
House of the Dragon’s heavy involvement from Martin has made fans confident that the series will be an accurate adaptation of his beloved novels.
A release date for Dark Winds is unknown as of yet.
The 10-episode series House of the Dragon will be heading to HBO Max sometime in 2022.
