Hudson Williams, the Canadian actor who became a breakout star from the hit queer hockey drama Heated Rivalry, has already found his next major television project. He is set to star in the upcoming Crave original series Yaga, a mystery thriller that reimagines the classic Slavic folklore tale of Baba Yaga. The show will feature a strong cast including Carrie-Anne Moss from The Matrix, Noah Reid from Schitt’s Creek, and Clark Backo from Letterkenny .
Production on the eight-episode half-hour drama series is currently underway in Toronto. This marks a significant move for Williams, who quickly became a fan favorite after Heated Rivalry premiered late last year. The new role shows him stepping away from the hockey rink and into a much darker and more mysterious storyline .
What is ‘Yaga’ About?
Yaga is not your typical detective show. It is based on a hit play by Canadian writer and showrunner Kat Sandler. The story takes the legend of Baba Yaga, a figure from Slavic folklore often described as a witch who lives in a hut standing on chicken legs, and turns it into a modern mystery .
The plot follows Noah Reid’s character, Rapp, a private investigator who comes to a small coastal town. His job is to look into the disappearance of a young man named Henry Park, who is the heir to a powerful local fishery. Hudson Williams plays Henry Park, the missing person at the center of the story .
As Rapp starts asking questions, he runs into problems with the local detective, Carson, played by Clark Backo. He also meets a university professor named Katherine, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, who the network describes as a charismatic person with a taste for younger men . The official synopsis teases a world full of secret lives, strange suspects, and a hint of ancient magic that seems to be woven into the town .
Creator Kat Sandler explained the vision behind the series in a statement. She said the show is about taking the old idea of the wicked witch and turning her into something new for today’s audience.
“Yaga has evolved from myth to stage to my first greenlit series, reclaiming the wicked witch and reshaping her as an incendiary feminist antihero for our time. It reflects the kind of storytelling I love: propulsive, accessible, dark, funny, and unapologetically bold.”
The series is a big deal for Crave as well. It is the streamer’s first-ever original half-hour drama, showing that they are trying to bring different kinds of stories to viewers .
Hudson Williams: From Hockey Romance to Folklore Mystery
For Hudson Williams, this role is a quick follow-up to the massive success of Heated Rivalry. In that show, he played Shane Hollander, a hockey player involved in a secret romance with a rival player. The series became a viral hit after it started streaming on HBO Max, turning Williams and his co-star Connor Storrie into household names almost overnight .
Taking the role of Henry Park in Yaga allows the 25-year-old British Columbia-born actor to show a different side of his acting skills. Instead of a sports romance, he is now part of a tense mystery where his character is missing for most of the story. This means other characters will be searching for him and trying to figure out what happened .
This is not the only project Williams has lined up. He previously mentioned in an interview that he has also booked a role in the upcoming Netflix limited series The Altruists. That show stars Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle and tells the story of the rise and fall of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried . It seems Williams is building a career with varied and interesting roles.
Who Else is in the Cast?
The cast of Yaga brings together some well-known faces, especially for fans of Canadian television.
- Carrie-Anne Moss plays Katherine. She is known worldwide for playing Trinity in The Matrix films. This role also sees her serving as an executive producer on the project .
- Noah Reid plays Rapp, the private investigator. Fans will remember him as Patrick from the popular series Schitt’s Creek .
- Clark Backo plays Detective Carson. She is known for her role in the comedy series Letterkenny .
The series is directed by David Frazee and Rachel Talalay, who has worked on projects like Doctor Who. It is produced by Front Street Pictures and Blink49 Studios in partnership with Bell Media .
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What This Means for Fans of ‘Heated Rivalry’
For viewers who fell in love with Hudson Williams in Heated Rivalry, Yaga offers a chance to see him in a completely different light. While Heated Rivalry season 2 is expected to go into production, it might still be a while before it arrives. Creator Jacob Tierney mentioned that he hopes the wait for the second season will not be too long, possibly aiming for a spring 2027 release .
In the meantime, Yaga gives fans something new to look forward to. It also keeps Williams connected to Crave, the network that helped launch his career. While there is no official release date for Yaga yet, the fact that filming has started means it could arrive on the streaming platform by late 2026 or early 2027 .
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