Hudson Williams Joins Baba Yaga Series With Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid on Crave — Will It Stream in the U.S.?
Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Hudson Williams, and Clark Backo will star in a series that reimagines the myth of Baba Yaga on Crave, the Canadian streaming service behind Heated Rivalry. Production is now underway on Yaga.
Baba Yaga is a female character from Slavic folklore. She’s usually depicted as a witch, but depending on the story, she’s either an evil witch who fries and eats children or a nice old woman who helps the hero.
Based on the hit play by Kat Sandler, who also serves as writer and showrunner, Yaga is a Crave Original series that reimagines the myth of Baba Yaga as a contemporary mystery thriller set in a small coastal town. Produced by Front Street Pictures and Blink49 Studios in partnership with Crave, Yaga is co-directed by David Frazee and Rachel Talalay, with principal photography currently underway.
Heated Rivalry became a sensation after HBO Max picked up the licensing rights to stream the series in the United States. Will Yaga stream in the U.S., too? Here’s everything we know.
What is Yaga about?
Yaga follows Rapp (Reid), a private investigator who arrives in a small coastal town to investigate the disappearance of a young heir to a powerful fishery, Henry Park (Williams). He 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.
Season 1 will have eight 30-minute episodes.
“Yaga has evolved from myth to stage to my first greenlit series, reclaiming the wicked witch and reshaping her as an incendiary feminist antihero for our time,” said Kat Sandler. “It reflects the kind of storytelling I love: propulsive, accessible, dark, funny, and unapologetically bold. I’m incredibly excited to bring Crave’s first-ever half-hour drama to life alongside longtime collaborator Mackenzie Donaldson, Front Street Pictures, Blink49, and Bell Media.”
Who is in the Yaga cast?
Yaga stars Moss, Reid, Williams, and Backo. Additional cast will be announced at a later time.
Moss is known for The Matrix and, most recently, FUBAR. Williams is one of the breakout stars of Heated Rivalry. Reid hails from Schitt’s Creek and will be seen in The Vampire Lestat this summer. Backo is known for Letterkenny and The Changeling.
When does Yaga come out?
A premiere date has not been announced, but filming is currently underway.
Will Yaga be available to stream in the U.S.?
According to Crave, the series is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus and will also be available as four one-hour episodes for international sales, indicating the streamer’s interest in licensing the show in other countries.
“Featuring a truly exceptional cast, this series marks another exciting collaboration with Blink49 Studios,” said Justin Stockman, Vice President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media. “We’re thrilled to bring Kat Sandler’s bold vision to Crave with this first-ever half-hour drama, and to continue setting the bar for genre-bending, unexpected storytelling.”
“YAGA is the kind of ambitious, genre-smashing storytelling we’re proud to support,” said Mackenzie Donaldson, Vice President, Scripted Television, Blink49 Studios. “Bringing Kat Sandler’s singular and fearless voice to the screen for the first time is a thrill. This is a story that is truly unique and unmistakably hers — fresh, contemporary reimagining of a classic myth brought to life by an exceptional cast and creative collaborators.”
Yaga, Series Premiere TBA, Crave
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