For our MIPCOM 2026 issue, we spoke with YAGA’s stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Clark Backo and Noah Reid.
Blending small-town mystery with Eastern European mythology, Yaga stars Carrie-Anne Moss as its lead and executive producer. We spoke with Moss alongside co-stars Clark Backo and Noah Reid about bringing this atmospheric thriller to life.
Making a bold debut on HBO, Yaga redefines the classic detective formula through a spellbinding, mystical lens. Adapted from Kat Sandler’s original play, the series comes from Crave—the experienced production powerhouse behind international hits like Heated Rivalry and Bait.
Carrie-Anne Moss not only leads the cast but also serves as an executive producer, driving the powerful feminist narrative behind the story. Set against the overcast, brooding backdrop of the Pacific Northwest and rooted in ancient Slavic lore, the show pulls viewers right into the town’s web of dark secrets from the very first frame.
What drew you to this project as an executive producer? The story reinterprets the Baba Yaga myth through a fresh, empowering lens.
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS: I’ve been deeply fascinated by the legend of Baba Yaga and its countless variations for years. When Kat Sandler brought this script to me, I immediately felt its raw potential and was completely captivated. As an actor-producer, your role is to bring your personal energy, experience, and work culture to the floor. Sometimes you don’t even realize the impact you’re having, but you create a protective space for the entire team. My main goal was simply to champion Kat, our co-producer McKenzie, and the entire cast and crew throughout the journey.
Katharine is one of the most charismatic and enigmatic figures at the core of the story. How did you balance her intellectual weight with the central mystery?
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS: Building a character always begins on the page. You take the world the writer created and then flesh it out through hair, makeup, and wardrobe. Once you step onto the set, that balance forms naturally through the shared energy with your scene partners. For instance, sitting across from Noah while delivering hilarious, bizarre lines about bones—all while trying to look like I knew exactly what I was talking about—was pure fun. I genuinely had to fight not to break character and laugh during those takes.
What was the shooting schedule like?
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS: We shot the entire series in an insanely tight window of just three weeks! It was an exceptionally intense sprint where all we did was memorize lines and sleep. But despite the pace, everyone came to set with so much love and a shared commitment to deliver something extraordinary.
Based on Kat Sandler’s play, the series fuses the Baba Yaga myth with a small-town mystery. What stood out to you most about this mythological and feminist approach when you first read the script?
CLARK BACKO: Honestly, what hooked me right away was the sheer caliber of the writing. Kat Sandler’s dialogue feels incredibly electric and alive. Just as viewers want to binge the next episode immediately, we felt that exact same urgency while reading the scripts. My whole team was constantly asking, “Where are the next pages? We need to know what happens next!”
Rapp’s veganism adds an organic, satirical edge compared to typical pop-culture tropes. What was it like playing such a multi-layered character?
NOAH REID: He was an absolute blast to play. When I first read Kat’s play, I was instantly drawn to Rapp’s rhythm of speech, his supreme self-confidence, and that quirky charisma. He operates like a magpie—snatching up shiny tropes around him and turning them to his advantage. You can never fully trust him on anything, including his veganism. He’s constantly performing and shapeshifting into whoever he needs to be to get what he wants.
CARRIE-ANNE MOSS: Rapp really reminds me of Bruce Willis’s energy in Moonlighting and the dynamics of that show. He’s a fascinating character who wears multiple masks, transforming effortlessly into whoever the person across from him wants to see.
