Yaga (TV series)

Development

Kat Sandler's original play, a reimagining of the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga, premiered at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto in 2019. She began developing Yaga for television with her collaborative partner, Mackenzie Donaldson, who described the story as a "crazy fairy tale dressed up like a detective series, a True Detective or Broadchurch". They pitched the concept to Bell Media to fit the company's call for a twisty drama series with half-hour episodes for their Crave streaming service. Bell Media accepted their proposal in October 2023^[3] and announced Yaga at their Upfronts in June 2025.^[4]

The eight-episode series was produced by Front Street Pictures, based in British Columbia where it was filmed, and Blink49 Studios, where Donaldson had become Vice President of Scripted Television.^[3] Donaldson was an executive producer on Yaga, along with Andrew Miller and lead actress Carrie-Anne Moss; Charles Cooper was the producer.^[5]

Casting

The principal cast was revealed on 18 February 2026, while the show was filming. Carrie-Anne Moss plays Katherine, a university professor with a taste for younger men. Moss said she was drawn to the project by Sandler's creative take on the tale of Baba Yaga.^[6] Noah Reid—who participated in workshops of the original play—was cast as Rapp, a private investigator looking into a young man's disappearance.^[7] Clark Backo plays Carson, a local detective; she described the series as "a mystery thriller that takes a look at what kind of power it might take to overcome those who think they're untouchable".^[6] The missing person, Henry Park, is played by Hudson Williams, who had recently starred in another Crave Original series, Heated Rivalry.^[5][8] After the announcement that Williams had been cast in the adaptation, it was reported that print copies of the play had sold out.^[9]

Additional cast members were announced on 23 April, including Sheila McCarthy, Megan Follows, Ezra Franky, Patrick Gilmore, Katharine Isabelle. Hiro Kanagawa, Emilija Baranac, Georgia Acken, and Anisa Harris, with Sam Krochmal in a recurring role.^[10]

Filming

The show, which is set in a small coastal town, was shot in Victoria, British Columbia, located on Vancouver Island off the west coast of Canada.^[6] Principal photography took place in February and March 2026.^[11] The series was directed by David Frazee and Rachel Talalay. Sandler was the showrunner on the production.^[8]