‘The God of the Woods’ Rounds Out Cast: Everything You Need to Know About Netflix’s Thriller

Liz Moore’s spine-tingling bestseller The God of the Woods is getting the TV treatment at Netflix as the streamer adapts the book for the screen. And viewers are one step closer to the series as production finally kicks off.

Along with the start of production, several other key details have been unveiled, including casting, plot, and information about the team behind it all. Here’s a look at everything we know about The God of the Woods TV show so far.

When will The God of the Woods premiere?

The God of the Woods doesn’t have a premiere date yet, but production on the highly-anticipated series has already begun in New York around the Hudson River Valley and Adirondacks upstate, as series co-creators and co-showrunners Liz Hannah and Liz Moore stated, “We’re thrilled to be filming in the state that inspired the story and the region where it’s actually set. The Adirondacks have a fascinating history, and we feel inspired every time we’re there by the Park’s beauty and complexity. We hope to do it justice on the screen.”

Does The God of the Woods have a trailer?

No, there’s no trailer for The God of the Woods, but Netflix did release a sneak peek at production with the photo below:

Who will star in The God of the Woods?

• Maya Hawke will lead the cast, marking a return to the streamer after Stranger Things. She will portray Judy Luptack, who’s described as, “Smart and quietly determined, Judy, the first female investigator in the male-dominated Bureau of Criminal Investigation, is assigned to unravel the disappearance of a young girl from a summer camp in upstate New York.”
• Kerry Condon will star in the series as Alice Van Laar, who’s described as, “Hardened by the grief of a past family tragedy and trapped in a contemptuous marriage, Alice is forced to face the unimaginable when her 13-year-old daughter goes missing.”
• Damon Gupton is Denny Hayes, who’s described as, “a captain in the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Denny is a well-intentioned investigator who struggles with balancing his well-protected peace and his new colleague, Judy Luptack.”
• Susannah Perkins stars as TJ Hewitt, “the quietly commanding director of Camp Emerson who quickly and confidently jumps into action when one of her campers goes missing.”
• Benjamin Walker is Peter Van Laar, “an imposing, entitled, and humorless” heir whose behavior is a struggle for his family.  
• Nell Fisher is Barbara Van Laar, “an artistic and headstrong teen with a punk sensibility” who joins Camp Emerson for escape and “has the maturity of someone forced to make serious decisions much too early on in life.”
• Autumn Molina is Tracy Jewel, a “determined younger camper” who seeks to find her missing bunkmate.
• Tracy Letts is Peter Van Laar II, “an older, wealthier, seemingly kinder version of his son but something potentially disturbing lurks beneath his façade.”
• John Gallagher Jr. is Jacob Sluiter, “a convicted murderer and recent prison escapee” who “resurfaces near his old hunting grounds around the same time a 13-year-old goes missing.”
• Lola Kirke is Delphine Barlow the widowed older sister of Alice who’s described as “a confident, boisterous presence with the ability to make every conversation about herself.”
• Colton Ryan is John Paul McClellan Jr., an “entitled and emotionally repressed… son of a wealthy family with deep, potentially dangerous ties to Camp Emerson.”

Other recurring cast additions include Camila Cano-Flavia as Donna Romano, Tristan Leander Green as Lee Towson, Cliff Chamberlain as Carl Stoddard, Lynden Miles Ley as Bear Van Laar, Dannie McCallum as Jeannie Clute, Andrew Polk as Clovis Goldman, Chris Henry Coffey as Sergeant Jimmy Dagle, David Furr as John Paul McLellan Sr., Joseph Adams as Vic Hewitt, and Brooklyn Shuck as Annabel.

Who makes The God of the Woods?

The series is written by co-showrunners, Liz Hannah and Liz Moore, who executive produce the show with Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty. The God of the Woods hails from Sony Pictures Television.

What is The God of the Woods about?

The description for the series reads, “The God of the Woods is a multi-generational drama series set in the Adirondacks, exploring the Van Laar family’s dark secrets, class tensions, and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar from her family’s summer camp — in the wake of an earlier family tragedy that may be related. As the past and present collide, the Van Laars’ wealth and influence unravel, revealing the damaging consequences of privilege and the abuse of power.” The series adapts the 2024 novel of the same name written by Moore.

In a statement shared with Tudum, Moore and Hannah said of the news, “We love making TV and can’t wait to bring The God of the Woods to life with our partners at Sony and Netflix. We hope everyone falls in love (and hate) with these characters as much as we have.”

The God of the Woods, Premiere Date TBA, Netflix