Hudson Williams and Carrie-Anne Moss Premiere Yaga at TIFF

Hudson Williams and Carrie-Anne Moss star in Yaga, a series that held its premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival’s Primetime program. The production adapts writer and showrunner Kat Sandler’s 2019 stage play, which draws inspiration from the Slavic folklore figure Baba Yaga. The project, produced by Blink49 Studios and Front Street Media, gained significant global buzz earlier this year when Williams, a breakout star from Heated Rivalry, joined the cast alongside Moss, Noah Reid, and Clark Backo.

In the opening episodes, a private investigator named Rapp, played by Noah Reid, travels to a small coastal town to investigate the disappearance of Henry Park, an heir to a fishery fortune played by Williams. Rapp teams up with a local police detective played by Clark Backo. Carrie-Anne Moss stars as Katherine, a university professor with deep expertise in bones who becomes one of the local figures entangled in the mystery. The plot further thickens with the introduction of Logan, a roommate of the missing Henry who is also played by Williams and bears an uncanny resemblance to the heir.

Release Schedule Across Streaming Platforms

Canadian streamer Crave scheduled the series premiere for October 23. Sphere Abacus secured international distribution for the project, selling the eight-part half-hour series to AMC Networks for AMC+ in the United States, alongside Sky in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand, HBO Max in Europe, and the Foxtel Group in Australia.

Following the Crave and AMC+ dual-episode debut on Friday, October 23, new episodes air weekly through a two-episode season finale scheduled for Friday, November 27.

Production Background and Creative Vision

Kat Sandler developed the series after co-founding a theater company for people who do not like theater and writing, producing, and directing plays that emulate TV. In interviews during the festival rollout, Sandler explained that she wanted to explore complex female anti-heroes following years of writing complicated male characters in theater productions. The production shot for 32 days earlier in the year on location on Vancouver Island.

The chemistry between Williams and his former Heated Rivalry co-star Connor Storrie had previously propelled the young actor into the stratosphere following that project’s late 2025 release. For Yaga, Sandler emphasizes the importance of her lead actress: Carrie-Anne Moss was the first person to sign on and is a big part of why we were able to make this show, Sandler says.

Frequently Asked Questions About Yaga

What is the premise of Yaga?

The series follows a private investigator who teams up with a local detective to look into the disappearance of a wealthy fishery heir named Henry Park. Their investigation leads them to several local suspects, including an enigmatic university professor played by Carrie-Anne Moss. Sandler views the project as part of a larger trend, noting, We did vampires for so long, now the witches are due for a resurgence.

Which networks are broadcasting the series?

Crave distributes the series in Canada, while AMC+ carries it in the United States. International platforms including Sky, HBO Max, and the Foxtel Group air the show in Europe, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.

How many episodes are in the first season?

The series consists of eight half-hour episodes, though distributors also offer the project configured as four hour-length episodes.