Dark Winds Names Hell on Wheels EP as New Season 2 Showrunner
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AMC is welcoming back a longtime collaborator to oversee Dark Winds Season 2.
John Wirth — whose previous credits include Hell on Wheels and sister network SundanceTV’s Hap and Leonard — will take over as showrunner on the acclaimed drama, succeeding Vince Calandra (Castle Rock) in the role.
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“We are thrilled to welcome John Wirth, someone we know well and have collaborated with so successfully on multiple shows – most notably Hell on Wheels – to the Dark Winds creative team,” AMC Studios president Dan McDermott said Wednesday. “This series quickly became one of the breakout hits of the year, on both linear television and streaming, and we are looking forward to the ride continuing next year.”
Added Wirth: “I’m delighted to be returning home to AMC to join the Dark Winds team for Season 2 and roll up my sleeves alongside Zahn McClarnon, Chris Eyre, George RR Martin, Robert Redford and others. I’m a long-time fan of the Tony Hillerman novels and am looking forward to working with my indigenous partners to bring his books and the world of the Navajo Nation to life on screen.”
Based on the Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman and set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, Dark Winds follows Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (played by Fargo‘s McClarnon) of the Tribal Police as he is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. He is joined on this journey by his new deputy, Jim Chee (Roswell, New Mexico‘s Kiowa Gordon), who has old scores to settle from his youth on the reservation. Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other and their own personal demons on the path to salvation.
“Hap and Leonard, Hell on Wheels, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Nash Bridges… John Wirth is someone who needs no introduction and knows his way around a compelling and highly watchable story,” McClarnon and Eyre said in a joint statement. “Tony Hillerman gave us so much rich material to explore [and] we are excited to dive into Season 2 with the rest of the creative team and John as our showrunner. Together, we aim to return with something special for the fans of Dark Winds.”
Dark Winds was renewed for Season 2 in June, just three episodes into its freshman run. Six new episodes will arrive on AMC (and AMC+) in 2023.
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