Almost two months after the final of Heated Rivalry dropped on HBO Max, star Hudson Williams' next project has been confirmed. The Canadian actor has teamed with The Matrix star Carrie-Anne Moss on a contemporary thriller that will bring to life the myth of the Slavic legend of Baba Yaga.
Production has begun on the eight-episode series written and executive produced by Kat Sandler, based on her acclaimed play, and will be distributed globally by Sphere Abacus, a Bell Media company, and the same team behind Heated Rivalry.
Schitt's Creek actor Noah Reid also stars alongside Canadian up-and-comer Clark Backo.
Hudson has previously confirmed he was working on a new series, telling GQ it was "freaky," and shared behind-the-scenes pictures, revealing that he would be wearing full-body prosthetics.
© Penske Media via Getty ImagesYAGA follows "Rapp (Noah Reid), a private investigator who arrives in a small coastal town to investigate the disappearance of a young heir to a powerful fishery, Henry Park (Hudson Williams)".
The description continues: "He finds himself at odds with an apprehensive local detective, Carson (Clark Backo), a charismatic university professor with a taste for younger men, Katherine (Carrie-Anne Moss), and a labyrinth of enigmatic suspects, secret lives, and ancient magic."
Carrie, 58, rose to international prominence for her role of Trinity in The Matrix series and has also starred in Memento, Silent Hill: Revelation, Pompeii, and Die Alone for which she was nominated for the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film.
Hudson, 25, and his Heated Rivalry co-star Connor Storrie have both experienced a meteoric rise to fame since Heated Rivalry's release, with the show first airing in the US in November 2025. Previously relatively unknown, both actors have spoken openly about the intense scrutiny surrounding their private lives.
But Hudson took back control of his life over Valentine's Day weekend when he confirmed his relationship status with a sweet Instagram post celebrating his girlfriend. The Canadian actor shared a six-picture collage of him and his girlfriend, whom he has not publicly named or revealed how long they have been dating.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he captioned the post. "With me since my 2000 gold Mazda Protegé smoked and squealed and I had no job."
© Instagram/@hudsonwilliamsofficialThe snapshots included candid snaps of the couple wrapped in each other's arms, FaceTime moments, and at a restaurant with Connor. It is believed that his girlfriend is a tattoo artist who designed and inked Hudson and Connor's "Sex Sells" tattoos that they received when they wrapped filming on season one.
Season two is now expected to drop in Spring 2027, later than then hoped for fall 2026.
