YAGA starts with a missing man, two investigators who do not agree, and a professor who may know more than she says. Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo and Hudson Williams lead the new eight-part thriller, coming to AMC+ in the United States and Crave in Canada on October 23.
It is based on Kat Sandler’s play, but this is not a filmed stage performance. Sandler has adapted it into a contemporary mystery set in Whittock, a small coastal town. The Baba Yaga story is part of its premise; the search for a young fishery heir gives the characters an immediate reason to cross paths.
AMC+’s September 25 trailer introduces that combination of investigation and witchcraft. Its soundtrack includes Alanis Morissette’s cover of Donovan’s “Season of the Witch.”
Who is missing, and who is looking for him?
Williams plays Henry Park, the young heir whose disappearance brings private investigator Rapp to town. Reid’s Rapp is an outsider, while Backo’s Carson is the local detective. A visitor arriving with questions is not the same thing as someone who already knows the people being questioned, so their disagreement is an important part of the setup.
Moss plays Katherine, a university professor whom the investigators encounter during the case. The announced premise puts her alongside a wider group of suspects, secrets and ancient magic. That is a reason to watch her closely, not proof of what she has done. Neither the synopsis nor the release announcement settles Henry’s fate.
Who’s who in YAGA
Keeping those four names straight helps with the trailer: Rapp and Carson are investigating; Henry is missing; Katherine is the professor they question. The cast brings recognizable faces, but their characters have separate jobs in this story. You do not need to know their earlier shows to follow the case.
What carries over from the play?
Sandler remains the writer, showrunner and an executive producer. David Frazee and Rachel Talalay direct the screen adaptation. In Bell Media’s original cast announcement, Sandler described the project as:
“reclaiming the wicked witch and reshaping her as an incendiary feminist antihero for our time.”
That tells us how she wants to approach the witch figure. It does not identify every supernatural element in the series, or turn a promotional description into an answer to the mystery. The interesting promise is a story in which an older woman can be more than someone the investigators dismiss or fear.
At a San Diego Comic-Con press roundtable with The Beat, Reid also explained what he could bring from the play to the series:
“The thing that you can take from that is a kind of atmosphere, and a tone and a feeling.”
His distinction makes sense for viewers deciding whether they need to seek out the play first. The series has its own performances and Sandler’s new scripts. It is another version of the story, rather than a requirement to remember an earlier production before watching episode one.
When do the episodes arrive?
The October 23 premiere has two episodes, both on AMC+ in the U.S. and on Crave in Canada. New installments then arrive on Fridays. The season ends November 27 with another two-episode release. Each episode is half an hour, making this a six-week rollout rather than a full-season drop on opening day.
Canada also gets an episode companion podcast hosted by Carley Thorne, starting October 23 on Crave’s YouTube channel and iHeartRadio. If you prefer to avoid discussion before watching, leave that until after the matching episode.
Bell Media has announced other buyers, including Sky in the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand, HBO Max in European territories excluding the U.K. and Ireland, and Foxtel Group in Australia. That announcement does not give those regions an October 23 premiere. Check the local service before making plans around the North American date.
Before the premiere, Moss, Reid and Backo are scheduled to join Sandler and executive producer Mackenzie Donaldson at New York Comic Con on October 9. AMC’s Main Stage panel runs from 4:03 to 4:33 p.m. and includes a preview. Start with the official trailer above to meet the four leads before episode one arrives.
