The new Crave series Yaga, a supernatural mystery inspired by Baba Yaga, premiered Oct. 23 and highlights filming in British Columbia.
The Story
The supernatural mystery series Yaga premiered on Crave on Oct. 23 and has been trending on the platform since its release, with British Columbia featured as a key production location.
Producers said B.C., and particularly Vancouver Island, was an ideal setting for the story’s rugged coastlines and dense forests. The series is produced by Blink49 Studios and Vancouver-based Front Street Pictures.
In a statement, Blink49 Studios president of global scripted television Pancho Mansfield said British Columbia’s depth of talent in front of and behind the camera helped make “ambitious stories” possible.
Yaga centres on a private detective investigating the disappearance of local heir Henry Park, played by B.C. actor Hudson Williams, who is described as having ties to Kamloops, Kelowna and New Westminster.
The cast also includes Burnaby-born actress Carrie-Anne Moss, known for roles in The Matrix films and other credits including Marvel Cinematic Universe series such as Jessica Jones and Daredevil.
Vancouver’s Emilija Baranac, who played Midge in Riverdale, also appears in the series, along with Ulkatcho First Nation actor and musician Ezra Franky.
Franky’s character, Pam Russell, is connected to Henry Park’s disappearance through her history with the missing man. Franky said, “Pam is very independent,” adding that she is an athlete and a student, and also Henry Park’s ex-girlfriend, “but I like to say that's the least interesting thing about her.”
Franky said B.C. “was the perfect place to shoot the series,” pointing to the “moodiness” of the Island that she felt “sets the tone in Yaga really well,” and the “small-town energy in Victoria” that “fuels the mystery.”
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