Hudson Williams’ Follow-Up to ‘Heated Rivalry’ and Crave’s ‘Yaga’ Now Streaming on AMC+ in the U.S.
AMC+ has secured exclusive U.S. streaming rights to the highly anticipated series Yaga, featuring Hudson Williams. This deal was announced during AMC Global Media’s Upfront Content Showcase on Wednesday. The series marks Williams’ first role following the success of his prior project, the globally acclaimed Heated Rivalry, which streams on Crave.
In Yaga, Hudson stars alongside Carrie-Anne Moss in an eight-episode run set to premiere later this year. This new project comes as Hudson prepares to return for Season 2 of Heated Rivalry alongside co-lead Connor Storrie.
Inspired by the play by Kat Sandler, who serves as both writer and showrunner, Yaga reimagines the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga. The narrative unfolds as a contemporary mystery thriller centered on Rapp (Noah Reid), a private investigator investigating the disappearance of young heir Henry Park (Williams) in a small coastal town. Rapp encounters challenges from local authorities, including a cautious detective named Carson (Clark Backo) and a charismatic professor (Moss) amidst a web of intriguing suspects and ancient magic.
The cast also includes Sheila McCarthy, Megan Follows, Ezra Franky, Patrick Gilmore, Katharine Isabelle, Hiro Kanagawa, Emilija Baranac, Georgia Acken, Anisa Harris, and Sam Krochmal.
Courtney Thomasma, EVP of Linear & Streaming Products for AMC Global Media, expressed enthusiasm for the series, stating, “Yaga is the kind of bold, genre-bending storytelling that we look for on AMC+ to complement our core franchises and super-serve our passionate and discerning fanbases. Kat Sandler’s unique creative vision brings a fresh twist to the classic whodunit – weaving together elements of witchcraft, horror, and mystery to deliver a captivating, character-driven story that viewers won’t want to miss.”
Despite the momentum gained from Heated Rivalry, which streams on HBO Max in the U.S. and other regions, Yaga was not acquired by other major U.S. streaming services. AMC’s aggressive pursuit reflects its strategy to expand its programming slate in the realm of witchcraft, which includes titles like A Discovery of Witches, Sanctuary: A Witches Tale, and Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches.
Produced by Blink49 Studios and Front Street Pictures in partnership with Crave, Yaga is co-directed by David Frazee and Rachel Talalay. The executive production team includes Mackenzie Donaldson, Andrew Miller, and Moss, with distribution handled globally by Sphere Abacus, a Bell Media company.
