Netflix’s “The God of the Woods” is Coming to the Adirondacks — And You Could Be in It
Liz Moore’s best-selling novel God of the Wood, set in the Adirondacks, will soon come to Netflix.
The Adirondacks have long inspired novelists, painters, photographers, and filmmakers. Soon, one of the region’s most talked-about modern stories will return to the place that inspired it — this time with Netflix cameras rolling.
This summer, Netflix will begin filming scenes for its upcoming limited series adaptation of The God of the Woods, based on the bestselling novel by Liz Moore. Production crews are expected to arrive in Bolton Landing at the end of June, bringing Hollywood attention to one of the Adirondacks’ most recognizable lakeside communities.
For Adirondack residents, this is more than another film production. It is the rare convergence of place and story — a mystery deeply rooted in the Adirondacks being brought to life in the very landscape that shaped it.
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A bestselling Adirondack mystery heads to Netflix.
Published in 2024, The God of the Woods quickly became one of the most widely discussed novels of the year. Set in the Adirondacks, the story blends family drama, social commentary, and psychological suspense against a backdrop of forests, lakes, summer camps, and old-money privilege.
Liz Moore’s best-selling novel.
The novel follows the disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar from a summer camp owned by her wealthy family. As investigators search for answers, long-buried family secrets begin to surface, exposing tensions surrounding class, power, and influence.
Netflix describes the adaptation as a multigenerational drama exploring the Van Laar family's unraveling fortunes and the mysterious disappearance that forces their secrets into the open.
For readers familiar with the Adirondacks, the setting is more than scenery. The region's dense forests, sprawling estates, isolated camps, and layered history become characters in their own right.
Hollywood arrives in Bolton Landing.
According to casting announcements, production crews will film in Bolton Landing from June 23 through June 30.
The casting agency Roman Candle Casting is currently seeking local residents and visitors to fill a variety of non-speaking background roles during filming.
Open roles include:
1970s upscale garden party guests
1970s artistic garden party guests
House staff, including maids, servers, and kitchen workers
Groundskeepers and landscapers
Boat crew members and handlers comfortable working on the water and in shallow lake areas
Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
Filming schedules may include very early morning call times as well as late-night shoots. Because the story is set in the 1960s and 1970s, selected participants will also attend period wardrobe fittings.
For many Adirondack residents, it may be the closest they ever come to stepping onto a Netflix set without leaving home.
Those interested in participating can apply through the Roman Candle Casting website.
A cast filled with familiar faces.
Netflix has assembled an impressive cast led by actress Maya Hawke, known for her breakout role in Stranger Things.
Hawke will portray Judy Luptack, the first female investigator in New York's male-dominated Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assigned to the disappearance of Barbara Van Laar, Judy becomes determined to uncover the truth behind the case.
God of the Woods is set to film in Bolton Landing later in June.
Joining Hawke is Academy Award nominee Kerry Condon as Alice Van Laar, Barbara's mother, whose family is already haunted by a previous tragedy.
Other cast members include:
Damon Gupton as investigator Denny Hayes
Ella Rubin as camp counselor Louise Donnadieu
Susannah Perkins as Camp Emerson director T.J. Hewitt
Benjamin Walker as Peter Van Laar III
Nell Fisher as Barbara Van Laar
Autumn Molina as camper Tracy Jewell
The series is being produced by Sony Pictures Television, with Moore serving as co-showrunner alongside acclaimed writer and producer Liz Hannah.
ADK Taste insight.
The Adirondacks have occasionally appeared on screen, but productions that genuinely embrace the region rather than merely using it as a stand-in remain relatively uncommon.
That makes The God of the Woods particularly notable.
Moore's novel isn't simply set near the Adirondacks. The landscape, culture, and social dynamics of the region are woven directly into the story. The camps, private estates, forests, and lakes help shape every major plot development.
For readers who have spent time in the Adirondacks, many elements feel instantly recognizable. The story captures both the beauty and isolation that have defined generations of Adirondack experiences.
Seeing those places translated to the screen — and filmed in the region itself — adds a layer of authenticity that many adaptations never achieve.
Lake George in the mist.
ADK Taste recommendations.
If you're interested in participating as an extra:
Apply as soon as possible through Roman Candle Casting.
Be prepared for long production days.
Expect wardrobe requirements appropriate for the 1960s and 1970s.
Keep schedules flexible, as filming timelines can change.
Follow casting instructions carefully and completely.
Even for those who never appear on camera, production activity is likely to generate plenty of excitement around Bolton Landing and southern Lake George throughout June.
Visitors may spot production vehicles, crews, equipment, and perhaps even a familiar face or two.
ADK Taste perspective.
For generations, writers have looked to the Adirondacks for mystery, inspiration, and storytelling material. Now one of the region's most celebrated recent novels is making the leap from page to screen.
Whether viewers ultimately discover The God of the Woods through Netflix or first encountered it in a bookstore, the adaptation serves as another reminder that the Adirondacks remain one of America's most compelling settings.
This summer, some of that story will be filmed exactly where it belongs.
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