TORONTO – A made-in-Canada production, filmed along the shores of Vancouver Island, is set to make a streaming splash this coming October. CTV’s parent company, Bell Media, is set to release a Crave original series titled “Yaga.” A supernatural thriller, the series title is taken from the pages of Slovak folklore, which feature an infamous witch. The centuries-old Slavic legend of “Baba Yaga” takes hold as a modern mystery thriller set in a small coastal community. The story follows a private investigator searching for a missing young heir to a powerful family, only to uncover a much darker web of secrets, hidden lives and ancient folklore. Carrie-Anne Moss, one of the show’s co-stars, says “Yaga” exposes the darker side of femininity. “It’s this part where you let go of being nice, where you let go of being a good girl, and you find yourself,” said Moss, who rose to worldwide prominence for her role as Trinity in “The Matrix.” The cast features numerous Canadians, including “Schitt’s Creek” star Noha Reid, “Letterkenny’s” Clark Backo, and Hudson Williams, who’s quickly becoming a household name following his leading role in “Heated Rivalry.” Sitting down with CTV News ahead of the show’s special screening at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Reid shared that filming the Canadian production, on Vancouver Island with a largely Canadian cast, is a point of pride. “When you get the opportunity to contribute to our cultural landscape, it feels really good to be involved in a production, particularly at this time, it feels like (the series) it’s Canadian in its bones,” said Reid. While walking to work, Moss shares that she would often think that “all the people (on set) are getting employed because of this job, right? From every department. That means a lot to me. People are paying their mortgages, putting their kids through school, that means a lot to me.” Based on the award-winning stage play by Canadian writer and showrunner Kat Sandler, the series brings the supernatural elements of the original story into a contemporary Canadian setting. Those familiar with Vancouver Island will note the familiar scenery. The show’s trailer features several notable locations, including Oak Bay’s historic Kiwanis Tea Room at Willows Beach, while the region’s coastline and forests help create the show’s eerie atmosphere. The eight episodes were shot in just 32 days. While the cast admit it was a lot of work to cover over such a short amount of time, the setting in and around Victoria had a “witchy vibe” that elevated the entire production. Williams wasn’t in Toronto for the sit-down interview with CTV News, but the cast shared that following “Heated Rivalry,” Williams is becoming a star in real-time. In “Yaga,” he plays two separate characters named Henry and Logan. “He came so prepared, everything was so well versed, he came in knowing exactly how he was going to differentiate these two characters,” Backo said. “It really did feel like two different people, which made our jobs so much easier, because the storyline (playing two characters) could have gotten confusing. But he plays a masterful job.” Audiences this week in Toronto will get a private screening at TIFF of the first two 30-minute episodes of the series. While Backo says she’s nervous, she and the entire cast are excited to witness the audience’s initial reaction. The eerie, edge of your seat thriller makes its cross-Canada premiere on Crave on Oct. 23. CTV News and Crave are divisions of Bell Media, which is part of BCE Inc.
