Picture: AMC
In 2024, Netflix picked up a slew of shows from the embattled network AMC, and among the most popular was Dark Winds. Having recently returned for its third season and renewed for a fourth, will it be coming to Netflix? We have another update, and Season 3 is arriving much sooner than expected.
Starring Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, and Jessica Matten, the critically acclaimed series brings to life the novel series by Tony Hillerman, Leaphorn & Chee.
The show has been one of the most popular AMC series since August 2024, surpassing the likes of A Discovery of Witches, Mayfair Witches, and some of The Walking Dead spinoffs. According to the Netflix Engagement Reports, Dark Winds, despite being available only in the US, has garnered 19.2 million views (87.5 million viewing hours) between June 2024 and June 2025.
Season 3 of the show returned to AMC on March 9, 2025, with eight episodes airing through April 27, 2025. It adapts Dance Hall of the Dead (1973) and The Sinister Pig (2003).
Per AMC, season 3, “Picks up six months after the events of Season 2 and follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Gordon) 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.”
Season 3 of Dark Winds Is Landing on Netflix Earlier Than Expected in October 2025
When we first covered if and when more Dark Winds would be coming to Netflix, we were ultimately unsure, given that, at the time, the rights for the show with Netflix were only for a single year. As we’ve been reporting, however, many of the AMC shows have had their Netflix run extended. Some were for a few months, while others were for a few years. Dark Winds falls into the latter camp.
Dark Winds secured the largest license renewal of any AMC show, with our intel suggesting the show will remain on Netflix through July 4, 2027. Using that date and learning what we did with Interview with the Vampire, which will see its second season released on Netflix on September 30th, 2025, it will be leaving on September 30th, 2026. Given that, we predicted that it wouldn’t be until July 2026 that Season 3 would drop on Netflix.
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait that long. Thanks to a publicized new deal between Netflix and AMC, Season 3 is set to drop in October 2025, with a confirmed release date of October 27, 2025.
In addition to streaming on Netflix, the series remains available in full on AMC+, with all three seasons streaming alongside a bunch of extras on their website.
Dark Winds heading to Netflix in International Regions
In addition to Netflix US picking up season 3, international territories such as the United Kingdom and Latin American regions, including Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, will begin streaming the show starting September 30th/October 1st.
What’s going on with Season 4 of Dark Winds?
The good news is that there’s even more to come on Dark Winds – the series picked up a swift renewal even ahead of season 3 airing on AMC. It began filming in March 2025 and, according to one report, wrapped up by the end of June 2025. No release date has been announced yet, and there is also no guarantee that this season will be available on Netflix. New cast members for season 4 include Isabel DeRoy-Olson and Luke Barnett.
With this new update, we also know that the series will remain on Netflix through July 2028, meaning we could expect season 4 to drop in July 2027, but we’ll keep you posted.
Note: This was first published on August 25th, 2025, and has been updated to reflect new information.
Are you looking forward to the new season of Dark Winds coming to Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.
