The Hunting Wives
The Hunting Wives is an American drama television series based on the novel of the same name by May Cobb. It stars Brittany Snow, Malin Akerman, Evan Jonigkeit, Katie Lowes, George Ferrier, Dermot Mulroney, Jaime Ray Newman, and Chrissy Metz. The series premiered on Netflix on July 21, 2025, in the USA and on other streaming services elsewhere. In September 2025, the series was renewed for a second season which is set to premiere in 2026.
Premise
Sophie, a wife and mother who moves from Massachusetts to the fictional East Texas town of Maple Brook with her husband, Graham, is drawn into the glamorous, dangerous world of a socialite named Margo and her elite clique, the "Hunting Wives." As Sophie gets closer to Margo, she becomes entangled in a web of obsession, secrets, and ultimately murder, when a teenage girl, Abby, is found dead in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet.Cast and characters
Main
- Brittany Snow as Sophie O'Neil, a young woman from Cambridge, Massachusetts, who recently moved with her husband to Maple Brook, Texas, after she killed a pedestrian in Cambridge while driving under the influence, and becomes captivated with Margo, the wife of her husband's boss
- Malin Akerman as Margo Banks, the leader of an elite socialite group of wives known as the Hunting Wives, who takes an interest in Sophie
- Evan Jonigkeit as Graham O'Neil, Sophie's husband, an architect
- Katie Lowes as Jill, Brad's mother, the wife of Reverend Clint, and a member of the Hunting Wives
- George Ferrier as Brad, Jill's teenage son
- Dermot Mulroney as Jed Banks, Margo's older, wealthy husband and Graham's boss, who is an oil tycoon and Texas gubernatorial candidate
- Jaime Ray Newman as Callie, the number two of the Hunting Wives and the town sheriff's wife
- Chrissy Metz as Starr, a working-class single mother who is not part of the elite socialite group. Her daughter, Abby, is dating Brad
- Hunter Emery as Deputy Walter Flynn, a Sheriff's Department officer who is investigating the murder of Abby with his partner, Deputy Salazar
- Karen Rodriguez as Deputy Wanda Salazar, Deputy Flynn's partner at the Sheriff's Department, who is investigating the murder of Abby with him
Recurring
- Chosen Jacobs as Jamie, Brad's friend
- Branton Box as Sheriff Jonny, Callie's husband
- Madison Wolfe as Abby, Brad's girlfriend and Starr's teenage daughter
- Jason Davis as Reverend Clint, Jill's husband, Brad's father, and the megachurch Holy Horizon's reverend
- Michael Aaron Milligan as Kyle, Margo's brother, who lives in a trailer in Alba, Texas
- Abigail Rhyne as Nina, Abby's friend who is a teen mother
- Paul Teal as Pastor Pete, Holy Horizon's youth pastor
- Kim Matula as Nadia Kelly
- Alex FitzAlan as Lincoln Trout
- John Stamos as Chase Brylan
- Cam Gigandet as Gentle John Moffitt
- Dale Dickey as Zelda Moffitt
- Angel Reese as Trainer Barbie
Episodes
Production
Development
In October 2023, it was announced Starz had given the series an eight-episode order, with Rebecca Cutter set to adapt the novel of the same name by May Cobb, and serve as executive producer and showrunner. Lionsgate Television and 3 Arts Entertainment will produce. In an interview with Vulture, Malin Akerman revealed that the creative team used Melania Trump as reference for her character Margo Banks. In September 2025, Netflix acquired the series as a global original for an eight-episode second season.Casting
In January 2024, Malin Akerman joined the cast of the series. In February 2024, Brittany Snow, Dermot Mulroney, and Evan Jonigkeit joined the cast. In March 2024, Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, Katie Lowes, and George Ferrier joined the cast. In November 2025, Hunter Emery and Karen Rodriguez had been promoted to series regulars for the second season.In December 2025, Kim Matula, Alex FitzAlan, John Stamos, Cam Gigandet and Dale Dickey were cast in recurring roles for the second season. In January 2026, Angel Reese joined the cast in a recurring capacity for the second season.
Filming
Pre-production began on January 18, 2024, in North Charlotte, with 18 weeks of filming shortly following.Principal photography began by March 2024, in North Carolina. Downtown Mooresville was turned into an East Texas city. Many surrounding locations were also used for principal photography. Production wrapped in June 2024.
In an interview with Variety, Akerman said they had Lizzie Talbot, an intimacy coordinator, on set to make sure they felt comfortable with the nudity and sex scenes.
Filming for the second season began on November 17, 2025.