‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Sequel Set At Hulu Ahead of Final Season

As The Handmaid’s Tale comes to an end in April, Hulu is already gearing up to create a sequel series titled The Testaments. While the series has not been officially greenlit yet, it has cast Chase Infiniti (soon to star in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another) as one of the three leads, with Ann Dowd reprising her Emmy-winning role as Lydia from Handmaid’s Tale. According to Deadline, Hulu “hopes” for Elisabeth Moss to return in her role as June, but that is still up in the air.

The Handmaid’s Tale was based on a book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, and The Testaments will also be based on a book by Atwood. Bruce Miller will return as showrunner. It is set 15 years after the original, and follows Lydia (Dowd), Agnes (Infiniti) and Daisy as they seek to finally destroy Gilead once and for all. In The Testaments, June is Agnes’ mom, which would be a tough storyline to work out if Hulu is unable to get Moss to return.

The Handmaid’s Tale is one of Hulu’s biggest hits, and the first streaming series to ever win Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys. The sixth and final season will premiere on April 8. Warren Littlefield, executive producer on the original series, told Deadline that they were “full speed ahead” on The Testaments in December and discussed the series’ continued relevance.

“While [Handmaid’s Tale] was developed in an Obama administration, when we were shooting, I think, Episode 4 of Season 1, Trump came to office and, while we thought and hoped and prayed that we would be less relevant a series, the longer we were on, the more relevant we became,” Littlefield said. “Our thematics only got stronger, sadly, and today, as we think and discuss plans for Testaments, it feels like there’s a reason to keep this world alive.”

The Testaments is planning to begin filming at the end of March in Toronto.