Maya Hawke headlines Netflix’s The God of the Woods, an 8-episode adaptation of Liz Moore’s bestselling 2024 mystery novel about the disappearance of a 13-year-old from an elite family summer camp. Around three months after production got underway, filming is nearing completion.
Former Stranger Things star Maya Hawke headlines Netflix’s 8-episode series The God of the Woods as Judy Luptack, a young investigator attempting to unravel the mysterious disappearance of missing 13-year-old camper Barbara Van Laar. Headlining alongside Hawke is Kerry Condon (Train Dreams, F1), who portrays Alice Van Laar, the missing teen’s mother.
Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the series comes from co-showrunners Liz Moore (the author of the original novel) and Liz Hannah (The Girl from Plainville, Mindhunter). “We love making TV and can’t wait to bring The God of the Woods to life with our partners at Sony and Netflix,” Moore and Hannah said of the project. “We hope everyone falls in love (and hate) with these characters as much as we have.”
The God of the Woods commenced filming on June 12, 2026, shooting across upstate New York, with the most notable locations including the Hudson River Valley and the Adirondack Mountains. After a three-month shoot, the series began to wrap up in late September and shooting is expected to fully wrap this month. As that time draws near, we’re seeing stars from the show take to socials to announce their completion.
Firstly, young actress Romy Fay posted behind-the-scenes photos from the set on September 28. She plays Michelle in the series, one of the eight campers present in the cabin when they learn that Barbara has gone missing. “Just wrapped an incredible summer filming The God of the Woods – coming to Netflix TBD,” the caption reads. ‘The girls in Balsam cabin will forever be in my heart – along with all the amazing cast and crew who brought this thrilling story to life! I can’t wait for everyone to see the magic we all made in the woods upstate!! I’m so proud of us!!”
Meanwhile, Kai James, who plays Christopher in Episode 4, has shared that he’s wrapped. “Thank you to everyone that made this experience one that I will cherish forever,” he wrote. “Can’t wait for the world to watch.” In the series, Christopher is part of the survival trip team. Shy and reserved, he is notably interviewed by Judy Luptack, where he shares key details in the mystery.
What is The God of the Woods about?
The God of the Woods is a gripping mystery and crime story, combined with dysfunctional family drama. The novel notably utilises a split timeline spanning generations, taking place at the Adirondack Mountains and Camp Emerson in upstate New York, between the 1950s, 1960s, and 1975.
The drama sets the scene in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, where the super-wealthy Van Laars control the land and run a summer camp, known as Camp Emerson. During a summer camp in 1975, 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar vanishes: there’s no reasoning, no motivation, and few clues as to her whereabouts. The investigative duty falls to Detective Judy Luptack and local authorities. But as they dig deeper into the case, it becomes clear that something more complicated is at play: the family harbours dark secrets, including a strangely similar missing-person case from over a decade earlier.
The series is an adaptation of the 2024 novel by Liz Moore, which was a huge commercial hit, being cited as one of the best crime fiction of 2024, and appearing on The New York Times Best Seller List.
The synopsis for the novel reads:
Some said it was tragic, what happened to the Van Laars.
Some said the family deserved it. That they never even thanked the searchers who stayed out for five nights in the freezing forest trying to help find their missing son.
Some said there was a reason it took the family so long to call for help. That they knew what happened to the boy.
Now, fourteen years later, the Van Laars’ teenage daughter has gone missing in the same wilderness as her brother. Some say the two disappearances aren’t connected.
Some say they are.
Complete cast and character guide
Netflix has announced a massive ensemble cast for The God of the Woods. We’ve listed all of the revealed cast members so far down below.
Core cast
- Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) as Judy Luptack — A young investigator attempting to unravel the mysterious disappearance of missing 13-year-old camper.
- Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) as Alice Van Laar — A mother stuck in a stoic marriage whose life is upturned following the disappearance of her daughter.
- Nell Fisher (Stranger Things) as Barbara Van Laar — Young and headstrong, Barbara vanishes from her bunk at Camp Emerson in 1975.
- Benjamin Walker (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) as Peter Van Laar III — The stuck-up and imposing heir to the Van Laar estate.
- Tracy Letts (A House of Dynamite) as Peter Van Laar II — Despite his immense wealth, Peter Van Laar II us the opposite of his son; both wise and kind. But his he hiding something behind his friendly surface?
- Damon Gupton (Bates Motel) as Denny Hayes – A respected captain in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, working alongside his new, fierce and brilliant colleague Judy Luptack.
- Ella Rubin (Sterling Point) as Louise Donnadieu — A working-class counselor at Camp Emerson and first to discover that Barbara is missing.
- Susannah Perkins (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as T.J. Hewitt — The director of Camp Emerson immediately pulled into action when one of the campers is missing.
- Autumn Molina (A Really Haunted Loud House) as Tracy Jewell — A determined young camper at Emerson.
- John Gallagher Jr. (10 Cloverfield Lane) as Jacob Sluiter — A convicted murderer and recent prison escapee, Jacob is one of the first suspects when a camper goes missing.
- Lola Kirke (Sinners) as Delphine Barlow — Alice’s recently widowed older sister.
- Colton Ryan (The Girl From Plainville) as John Paul McClellan Jr. — The wealthy son of a powerful family, John Paul has particularly close ties to Camp Emerson.
Additional cast
- Camila Cano-Flavia (Three Women) as Donna Romano
- Tristan Leander Green (The Bard) as Lee Towson
- Cliff Chamberlain (The Rip) as Carl Stoddard
- Romy Fay (The Chosen Adventures) as Michelle
- Kai James as Christopher
- Dannie McCallum (Echo) as Jeannie Clute
- Brooklyn Shuck (Evil) as Annabel
- Lynden Miles Ley (Birth/Rebirth) as Bear Van Laar
- Andrew Polk (Daredevil) as Clovis Goldman
- Chris Henry Coffey (The Madness) as Sergeant Jimmy Dagle
- Joseph Adams (Zero Day) as Vic Hewitt
- David Furr (The Gilded Age) as John Paul McLellan Sr.
Who is directing?
The series has assigned four directors across its eight episodes. Showrunner and writer Liz Hannah is helming two episodes herself.
- Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds, Bad Education) directs Episodes 1-2
- Quyen Tran (Palm Springs, The Pitt) directs Episodes 3-4
- Liz Hannah directs Episodes 5-6
- Meera Menon (Equity) directs Episodes 7-8
When does The God of the Woods release on Netflix?
Netflix has not set a release date for The God of the Woods. With filming concluding this month, and a typical show undergoing around 6 months of post-production, we’d expect to see it land on Netflix in spring or summer 2027.
Are you excited for The God of the Woods? Tell us in the comments down below!