The God of the Woods : Netflix series filming wrapped

Liz Moore's bestselling novel landed on The New York Times Best Seller List in 2024, and Netflix wasted no time securing the rights. Cameras rolled on The God of the Woods starting June 12, 2026, and after roughly three months of shooting across upstate New York, the production is now crossing the finish line. Here's everything we know about this upcoming mystery series.

Filming wrapped in the Adirondacks : what the cast is saying

Production took root in some of New York State's most atmospheric landscapes. The Hudson River Valley and the Adirondack Mountains served as the primary shooting locations, lending the show the kind of dense, brooding woodland scenery the story demands. By late September 2026, the crew began winding things down, with a full wrap expected before the end of October.

Cast members didn't wait long to share the news on social media. On September 28, young actress Romy Fay, who plays Michelle (one of the eight girls in the Balsam cabin when Barbara Van Laar disappears), posted behind-the-scenes photos and wrote : "Just wrapped an incredible summer filming The God of the Woods, coming to Netflix TBD. The girls in Balsam cabin will forever be in my heart !" Actor Kai James, playing Christopher, a quiet and observant member of the survival trip team who gets interviewed by investigator Judy Luptack, also confirmed his wrap : "Thank you to everyone that made this experience one that I will cherish forever. Can't wait for the world to watch."

These posts give us a good sense of the production's atmosphere. Three months of shooting in remote mountain terrain isn't a small undertaking, and the crew's dedication shows. We're keeping a close eye on any further announcements from the full cast as the final days of filming conclude.

The story, the cast, and the people behind the camera

Set in 1975 at Camp Emerson, a summer retreat controlled by the ultra-wealthy Van Laar family in upstate New York, The God of the Woods follows the sudden disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar. No clear motive, no obvious trail. The investigation falls to Detective Judy Luptack, played by Maya Hawke (known for her role in Stranger Things). As Judy digs deeper, a far darker picture emerges : the Van Laars are hiding something, including a nearly identical missing-person case from over a decade before. The narrative spans multiple decades, moving between the 1950s, 1960s, and 1975, with the weight of family secrets pressing down on every scene.

Alongside Hawke, Kerry Condon (recently seen in Train Dreams and F1) plays Alice Van Laar, the missing girl's mother, trapped in a cold, distant marriage. The full ensemble is stacked :

• Nell Fisher as Barbara Van Laar, the missing teenager
• Benjamin Walker as Peter Van Laar III, the family's arrogant heir
• Tracy Letts as Peter Van Laar II, outwardly warm but potentially concealing plenty
• Ella Rubin as Louise Donnadieu, the working-class camp counselor who first notices Barbara is gone
• Lola Kirke as Delphine Barlow, Alice's recently widowed sister
• John Gallagher Jr. as Jacob Sluiter, an escaped convict and early suspect
• Damon Gupton as Captain Denny Hayes, Judy's senior colleague at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation

Behind the camera, the eight episodes split between four directors. Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds, Bad Education) handles episodes 1 and 2. Quyen Tran (The Pitt) takes episodes 3 and 4. Co-showrunner Liz Hannah (Mindhunter) directs episodes 5 and 6 herself. Meera Menon (Equity) closes the series with episodes 7 and 8. The show is produced by Sony Pictures Television, with Liz Moore (the novel's author) and Liz Hannah serving as co-showrunners. Moore and Hannah said of the project : "We love making TV and can't wait to bring The God of the Woods to life with our partners at Sony and Netflix."

That combination of literary source material, a strong showrunning team, and a cast of this caliber puts this squarely on our radar as one of the most anticipated upcoming Netflix originals. If you're looking for what's already streaming right now, check out our picks for the 10 best new series on Netflix in 2026 so far.

Release date outlook and what to expect next

Netflix hasn't confirmed a premiere date yet. That's not surprising given that filming only concludes this month. Post-production on a series of this scope typically runs around six months, covering editing, color grading, sound design, visual effects, and score. Based on that timeline, a spring or summer 2027 release on Netflix looks realistic.

No trailer has dropped yet. That's entirely expected at this stage since post-production is just getting started. A first teaser will likely surface in early 2027, once the editing process is well underway. We'll update this page the moment Netflix drops any official material, whether that's a clip, a poster, or a confirmed premiere date. This is exactly the kind of high-concept mystery drama worth watching closely as it moves through the pipeline toward your screen.