Series 'Yaga' teaser out, Hudson Williams to star in lead role
Washington DC, July 26
The first look at the Canadian series 'Yaga' was unveiled during the show's San Diego Comic-Con panel. The mystery thriller stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo, and Hudson Williams, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
According to the outlet, the series marks 'Heated Rivalry' breakout Williams' first major project since the queer hockey romance drama. Moss, Reid, and Backo were in attendance at the SDCC panel where the teaser first premiered, along with executive producer and showrunner Kat Sandler.
Both Moss and Williams were unable to be at the panel but sent in video messages for the gathered crowd.
AMC Plus shared the trailer on their Instagram handle.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Yaga' is based on the play by Sandler, who serves as the show's writer and showrunner, and is a contemporary reimagining of the myth of Baba Yaga set in a coastal town. Crave dubbed the series "not your grandmother's Baba Yaga" in a recent Instagram post.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show follows a private investigator, Rapp, played by Reid, who heads to a small coastal town to investigate the disappearance of Henry Park, played by Williams, the young heir to a powerful fishery.
The show's synopsis reads, "[Rapp] finds himself at odds with an apprehensive local detective, Carson (Backo), a charismatic university professor with a taste for younger men, Katherine (Moss), and a labyrinth of enigmatic suspects, secret lives, and ancient magic."
Sadler said in an initial release that the series has evolved from "myth to stage" to her first greenlit series, "reclaiming the wicked witch and reshaping her as an incendiary feminist antihero for our time." She continued, "It reflects the kind of storytelling I love: propulsive, accessible, dark, funny and unapologetically bold," as quoted in The Hollywood Reporter.
Sheila McCarthy, Megan Follows, Ezra Franky, Patrick Gilmore, Katharine Isabelle, and Hiro Kanagawa also star in the series, along with Emilija Baranac, Georgia Acken, Anisa Harris, and Sam Krochmal.
Yaga is produced by Front Street Pictures and Blink49 Studios. Mackenzie Donaldson, Andrew Miller, and Moss serve as executive producers, and Charles Cooper serves as a producer. Sandler is showrunning the series, with David Frazee and Rachel Talalay directing.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Carrie-Anne Moss is a legend! 🖤 But I'm a bit skeptical about the "reclaiming the wicked witch" angle - it's been done before. Still, the coastal town mystery and queer elements could make it stand out. Will give it a shot when it comes to India.
Hudson Williams is a great choice - his work in 'Heated Rivalry' was impressive. Hope the show doesn't fall into the trap of being too preachy with its feminist messaging. Good stories speak for themselves. Looking forward to it!
The cast is stacked! 🙌 It's nice to see Canadian content getting more international recognition. I just hope they handle the folklore with respect - Baba Yaga is more than just a villain. My grandmother used to tell me stories about her...
"Not your grandmother's Baba Yaga" - love that tagline! 😄 But I hope they don't completely lose the dark, mysterious elements that make Slavic folklore so compelling. The small-town mystery angle sounds promising though. AMC+ better have good Indian pricing!
The premise sounds a bit overstuffed - private investigator, missing heir, secret societies, ancient magic... feels like they're throwing everything in. But I trust Kat Sandler's vision since it started as a play. Will wait for reviews before subscribing to another streaming service. 😐
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