March 19, 2026
Provided Image/Netflix
Maya Hawke will star as investigator Judy Luptack in Liz Moore's upcoming Netflix adaption of 'The God of the Woods.' Hawke is shown above as Robin Buckley in 'Stranger Things.'
Maya Hawke will star as a detective in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of "The God of the Woods," the best-selling crime novel from Philly-based author and Temple University professor Liz Moore.
Hawke, who played Robin Buckley in "Stranger Things," is slated to portray investigator Judy Luptack in her second major role on a Netflix series, Variety reported Thursday. Hawke, 27, is the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
"The God of the Woods," released two years ago, takes place in the Adirondack Mountains and revolves around an investigation into 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar's disappearance from her summer camp in 1975. The case exposes dark secrets about another Van Laar family tragedy, the disappearance of Barbara's older brother, that took place years earlier.
Moore's novel, her fifth, has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide and was named a book of the year in 2024 by the New York Times, People and NPR. Moore is the director of Temple's creative writing program.
Netflix describes the upcoming adaptation as a "multigenerational drama" that reveals the "damaging consequences of privilege and the abuse of power." Hawke's Luptack is the only woman in the bureau tasked with investigating Van Laar's disappearance.
Hawke's other TV roles have included work alongside her father on Showtime's "The Good Lord Bird" and an appearance in the BBC's 2017 adaptation of "Little Women." Hawke has also appeared in films including "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," "Asteroid City" and "Inside Out 2." She also models and is a singer-songwriter.
No other casting announcements have been made for the series, which will have hourlong episodes.
The upcoming project will be the second TV adaptation of a novel written by Moore. "Long Bright River," her 2020 novel about a woman's disappearance in Kensington, was turned into a Peacock series that debuted last year and earned a Golden Globe nomination for star Amanda Seyfried.
Moore's other novels include "The Unseen World" (2016), "Heft" (2012) and "The Words of Every Song" (2007).
For the Netflix adaptation, Moore will team up with Liz Hannah ("The Girl from Plainville," "Mindhunter" and "The Post") as a showrunner, writer and executive producer. Netflix has not given a timeline for a premiere of "The God of the Woods."
