Fans of Heated Rivalry won’t have to wait for another season to see Hudson Williams back on screen. The actor is returning in Yaga, a supernatural mystery thriller that brings together two familiar faces from LGBTQ+ television favourites: Williams and Schitt’s Creek star Noah Reid. With Carrie-Anne Moss and Clark Backo completing its leading cast, the eight-part series arrives later this month, just in time for Halloween.
The official trailer, released on September 25, offers a glimpse of a sinister coastal town, a mysterious disappearance and a story in which folklore and desire appear to be dangerously intertwined. Based on the acclaimed stage play by Canadian writer Kat Sandler, Yaga takes inspiration from the legend of Baba Yaga, the enigmatic witch of Slavic folklore, and transports it into a contemporary setting filled with secrets, suspicion and supernatural intrigue.
Hudson Williams takes on a mysterious new role
Williams plays Henry Park, the young heir to a powerful fishing business who disappears under mysterious circumstances. His disappearance brings private investigator Rapp, played by Noah Reid, to the fictional coastal town of Whittock, where an apparently straightforward investigation quickly becomes something far more complicated.
For viewers who discovered Williams through Heated Rivalry, the new role marks a departure from the romantic drama that helped bring him international attention. Rather than playing one half of a central love story, Williams becomes the missing figure at the heart of a mystery involving family power, hidden relationships and ancient forces.
His casting has already generated considerable interest. Earlier this year, demand for the original Yaga stage play reportedly increased after his involvement in the television adaptation became public, demonstrating how the actor’s growing fanbase is following him into new projects.
The series also offers audiences an opportunity to see Williams working within a darker genre, surrounded by an established ensemble of performers whose previous work ranges from science fiction to comedy and psychological drama.
Noah Reid steps away from Schitt’s Creek
Noah Reid, best known to many viewers as Patrick Brewer in Schitt’s Creek, plays the investigator attempting to uncover what happened to Henry. His character enters Whittock as an outsider, only to find that the town’s residents are keeping considerably more secrets than he anticipated.
Reid’s portrayal of Patrick, whose relationship with David Rose became one of the most beloved romances in Schitt’s Creek, made him a familiar presence among LGBTQ+ audiences. Yaga, however, places him in an entirely different kind of story, one driven by uncertainty, obsession and the possibility that the supernatural may be more than a local legend.
His investigation brings him into conflict with Carson, a wary local detective played by Clark Backo, and Katherine, a charismatic university professor portrayed by Carrie-Anne Moss. Katherine’s interest in younger men adds another layer of intrigue to a story already concerned with attraction, secrecy and the blurred boundaries between truth and myth.
Although the cast includes actors closely associated with LGBTQ+ television, the series has not been officially presented as an LGBTQ+ drama. Its appeal to those audiences comes primarily from the performers involved and the darker, more provocative storytelling promised by its creators.
Carrie-Anne Moss brings Baba Yaga into the modern world
At the centre of the series is Carrie-Anne Moss, internationally recognised for playing Trinity in The Matrix films. Her character, Katherine, is described as a charismatic professor whose relationships and motivations form part of the mystery surrounding Henry’s disappearance.
The original Baba Yaga legend describes a supernatural female figure whose intentions are notoriously difficult to predict. Sometimes a terrifying witch, sometimes a source of wisdom or assistance, she has remained one of the most fascinating characters in Slavic folklore precisely because she resists simple definitions of good and evil.
Sandler’s adaptation draws on that ambiguity rather than simply reproducing a traditional fairy tale. The story places ancient mythology alongside modern relationships and criminal investigation, creating a world where apparently ordinary people may be hiding extraordinary secrets.
Moss is also an executive producer of the series, which is based on Sandler’s stage production first presented in Toronto in 2019. Sandler serves as writer, showrunner and executive producer for the television adaptation.
The supporting cast includes Sheila McCarthy, Megan Follows, Katharine Isabelle, Hiro Kanagawa, Patrick Gilmore and Emilija Baranac.
A haunting soundtrack sets the mood
The official trailer introduces the series’ unsettling atmosphere with a cover of Donovan’s Season of the Witch, performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette.
The choice of music reflects the production’s blend of supernatural folklore and contemporary suspense. Rather than relying solely on conventional horror imagery, Yaga appears to build its mystery around uneasy relationships, small-town secrets and characters whose intentions remain difficult to read.
The eight episodes run approximately half an hour each, giving the production a relatively compact format compared with many contemporary streaming dramas. The story is expected to unfold over several weeks, with its central mystery gradually developing towards a two-episode finale.
When and where can you watch Yaga?
Yaga premieres in the United States on AMC+ on October 23, launching with two episodes. New instalments will follow every Friday, culminating in a double-episode finale on November 27.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series will be available on Sky and NOW from October 31, making it a Halloween release. Australian viewers will be able to watch through BINGE and Foxtel On Demand beginning October 23.
The Canadian production was developed as a Crave original and is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus. Availability in other territories will depend on local distribution arrangements.
For fans of Hudson Williams and Noah Reid, Yaga offers something different from the romances that made both actors particularly popular with LGBTQ+ audiences. Whether its combination of witchcraft, mystery and complicated relationships can develop a following of its own remains to be seen, but the casting alone is likely to attract considerable attention.
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