Credit: Netflix

Netflix’s The God of the Woods is starting to look like one of its most interesting upcoming mystery dramas, and the latest casting update has given Stranger Things fans yet another reason to keep an eye on it. Yes, seriously. The show already had one major Hawkins connection thanks to Maya Hawke, but now another actor from the show has officially joined the cast as well.

Based on Liz Moore’s bestselling novel of the same name, The God of the Woods is set in the Adirondack Mountains and is a story of the disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar. The case sends shockwaves through the wealthy and influential Van Laar family, but here is the thing: Barbara’s disappearance isn’t even the first tragedy linked to them. As investigators begin to look deeper into what happened, long-buried secrets and questions about privilege start coming to the surface. And honestly? That already sounds like something people will be obsessed with.

Netflix first announced the project earlier this year, and one thing that caught a lot of people’s attention was the cast. Maya Hawke signed on alongside Kerry Condon and Ella Rubin, with Hawke playing Judy Luptack, a young investigator who joins the search for Barbara. Unfortunately, she ends up getting involved in all the mystery surrounding the Van Laar family. And it’s not hard to see why her casting got people talking. A lot of viewers still know her as Robin Buckley from Stranger Things, so seeing her take on a role like this has made people even more curious about the series.

But now the cast has gotten even bigger. According to Netflix’s latest announcement, Damon Gupton, Susannah Perkins, Benjamin Walker, Nell Fisher and Autumn Molina have all joined the series as regular cast members. And not gonna lie, some of these characters sound like they are about to bring a lot of drama to this story.

Gupton will play Denny Hayes, a captain in the Bureau of Criminal Investigations who works alongside Judy Luptack during the search. Susannah Perkins has been cast as TJ Hewitt, the director of Camp Emerson, which is the summer camp where Barbara disappears. Benjamin Walker will portray Peter Van Laar III, Barbara’s father and the wealthy heir to the Van Laar estate. Meanwhile, Autumn Molina will play Tracy Jewell, a fellow camper who becomes determined to uncover what really happened to her missing bunkmate.

However, the casting announcement has generated particular excitement because of Nell Fisher’s involvement. Fisher has been cast as Barbara Van Laar herself, placing her right at the centre of the show’s mystery. According to the character description, Barbara is artistic and independent, and she is far more mature than most children her age.

A lot of viewers will already recognise Fisher from the last season of Stranger Things. Even though she was one of the younger additions to Netflix’s growing roster of talent, she has earned attention for her role as Holly Wheeler. After that, playing one of the most central characters in a high-profile adaptation like The God of the Woods feels like a pretty major next step in her career.

At the moment, Netflix hasn’t revealed an official release date for The God of the Woods. Production is still ongoing, so we can expect it mostly next year. Until then, mystery fans have plenty of reasons to be excited. A bestselling source novel or an extraordinary cast. And now it’s multiple Stranger Things connections that are keeping fans on their toes. Are you excited?