Hulu has just announced that the highly anticipated original series, The Testaments, the sequel to the Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale adaptation of the novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, premieres on the platform on April 8 with a three-episode premiere and then one new episode every week.
The Testaments itself is billed as the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale and the adaptation of the novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood and plays out as a dramatic coming of age story set in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead.
The series follows the story of two teenage girls, Agnes and Daisy, who are from opposite sides of the brutal ideology of Gilead. While Agnes is dutiful and devout and has been raised within the regime of Gilead, Daisy is a new student and a recent convert from outside of Gilead. They are brought together at the elite prep school run by Aunt Lydia for future wives of the ruling class of Gilead, where obedience to the regime is drilled into the girls through brutal means and the girls are encouraged to believe it is the will of God.
The girls’ relationship as they wander the gilded halls of the school and the brutal regime of indoctrination that it represents becomes the spark that could change their pasts, their presents, and their futures.
The Testaments is produced for TV by Bruce Miller, who is also the showrunner and EP. Miller is the same showrunner who developed The Handmaid’s Tale for Hulu.
The executive producers of the series include Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Steve Stark, Shana Stein, Maya Goldsmith, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, and Mike Barker. Barker will also be directing the first three episodes of the series. MGM Television is the production company behind the series.
The cast of the series includes Ann Dowd reprising her role as Aunt Lydia, along with Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Rowan Blanchard, Mattea Conforti, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien.
Hulu describes the series as “a new chapter from the showrunner and executive producers of The Handmaid’s Tale,” implying that it is a continuation as well as an extension of the world created by Atwood in the dystopian series.
The Testaments will be available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. The series will also be available to stream on Hulu on Disney+ to those who subscribe to the bundle.
All episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale are currently available to stream on Hulu.
