Hulu’s highly anticipated spinoff of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, is officially in development — but what do we know so far about the series?
Margaret Atwood’s dystopian world was first brought to life through The Handmaid’s Tale, a novel depicting a future where declining fertility rates have resulted in women being assigned to men for the purpose of bearing children.
The Hulu adaptation, which premiered in 2017, has been led by Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley, and Amanda Brugel.
Ahead of the season 5 premiere in September 2022, Hulu announced that The Handmaid’s Tale would conclude with its sixth and final season.
At that time, creator Bruce Miller stepped down as showrunner to focus on developing The Testaments, while Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang assumed daily showrunning duties for the main series.
“We are ending our show on our own creative terms,” Miller told in 2022 before stepping down. “Do I know what happens in season 6? Yes, I’ve thought about what happens in season 6 for quite some time.”
Despite The Handmaid’s Tale reaching its end, its fictional universe will continue with a spinoff set 15 years later.
Atwood wrote The Testaments after The Handmaid’s Tale had already been adapted for television, shifting the story to three women who provide testimonies about the fate of Gilead following June’s (Moss) capture and Aunt Lydia’s (Dowd) revelation as a Mayday informant.
Where Is ‘The Testaments’ Set?
The spinoff takes place 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale. Narrated by Aunt Lydia, the story introduces new characters, including Agnes from Gilead and Daisy from Canada, as they secretly work to smuggle incriminating information out of the totalitarian state.
Handmaid’s Tale Spinoff The TestamentsDisguised as “Pearl Girls,” Agnes and Daisy infiltrate Canada while Aunt Lydia operates as a covert source within Gilead.
Is ‘The Testaments’ Based on a Book in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Franchise?
The Testaments is a 2019 novel that serves as a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. The novel unfolds as sections of a manuscript written by one woman, interwoven with testimonies from two others, detailing the inner workings of a rebellious faction determined to dismantle Gilead from within.
What Is the Vision for the New Series?
Since the novel’s release as both a book and an audiobook, Dowd has reprised her role as Aunt Lydia by narrating her sections of the story.
Bryce Dallas Howard voiced Agnes, while Mae Whitman portrayed Daisy (also known as Nicole). The audiobook’s epilogue featured contributions from Tantoo Cardinal, Derek Jacobi, and Atwood herself.
“Although I couldn’t continue Offred’s story, I could explore the experiences of three other individuals affected by these events and tell the story of how it all began to unravel,” Atwood said at a 2019 press event.
“From The Handmaid’s Tale, we know that Gilead eventually collapses, as it is no longer present 200 years into the future. I wanted to examine how these types of regimes eventually fall.”
She elaborated: “There are some new costume choices in this book. Throughout history, humans have used outfits to signify identity—think of football teams, for instance. So, yes, we have some new attire in The Testaments.”
Atwood also kept Miller informed about her plans as The Handmaid’s Tale reached its conclusion. “I read the scripts and provide feedback,” she said. “I have influence, but no direct power. Fortunately, we generally align in our vision.”
When Will ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Spinoff Premiere on Hulu?
While Hulu and MGM have confirmed the development of the sequel series, no official release date has been announced. The Testaments is expected to debut after The Handmaid’s Tale wraps up its final season in 2025.
Will Characters From ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Make Cameos?
Dowd, who will reprise her role as Aunt Lydia, expressed excitement about the new series in an October 2022 interview, noting that she had worked on the audiobook and found the novel “brilliantly written” and “extraordinary.”
Fans are also hopeful that Moss will return as June, as her daughters, Nichole and Hannah (known as Daisy and Agnes in the book), take center stage in The Testaments.
Since the children will be portrayed as older characters in the spinoff, their roles will be recast. Even if June meets a tragic fate in season 6, flashbacks and recorded messages have previously been used in the TV universe to bring back key characters.
Newcomer Chase Infiniti has been cast as Agnes.