Next Tuesday, on April 8, Hulu will start airing the sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale, its adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel...well, actually, they finished adapting most of Atwood's book a while ago and have been exploring a new story, but the basics are still there: a fertility crisis led to the collapse of the United States as we know it and the rise of an autocratic nation called Gilead, where the few remaining fertile women are used as breeding stock. June (Elisabeth Moss) is one such "handmaid." Recent seasons have focused on her trying to rescue her daughter Hannah — called Agnes in Gilead — from the tyrannical regime.
The Handmaid's Tale will all be over in a few months, but Hulu has no intention of letting one of its most prestigious shows just fade away. It's working on a sequel series called The Testaments, based on Atwood's 2019 sequel novel to her original book. Hulu announced today that the series will begin production on April 7, a day before the final season of The Handmaid's Tale will premiere. It's going to keep this dystopian gravy train going.
It's official! The Testaments, based on Margaret Atwood's sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, starts production April 7. Ann Dowd will reprise her role as Aunt Lydia with Elisabeth Moss as an executive producer of the series. Follow @TestamentsHulu for more! pic.twitter.com/FxZBnjEDUD
— Hulu (@hulu) April 1, 2025
Chase Infinity will play Agnes/Hannah in the new show. Ann Dowd, who plays the conflicted Gilead enforcer Aunt Lydia and who's often been singled out for her excellent performance, will also feature. There will also be a new cast of characters, many of whom are young women who grew up in Gilead and don't know any other way to live. Check out the rest of the cast and their official character descriptions below:
- Lucy Halliday as Daisy, a young Canadian teen whose life is turned upside down when she learns of her connection to the Republic of Gilead.
- Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite, a pampered teen from a prominent Gilead family whose status affords her a certain level of respect and power amongst her peers.
- Mattea Conforti as Becka, a girl from humble origins who attends school with Gilead’s elite. As she comes of age, she starts to question whether she wants the life she’s being groomed for.
- Mabel Li as Aunt Vidala, a stern disciplinarian and the heir-apparent to the women’s sphere of Gilead.
- Amy Seimetz as Paula. Her recent marriage to a high-ranking Commander has raised her social status, but her perfect life is complicated by her new step-daughter.
- Brad Alexander as Garth, a young Commander who becomes involved in the personal lives of the girls he’s sworn to protect.
- Zarrin Darnell-Martin as Aunt Gabbana, a firm proponent of Gilead values and right hand to Aunt Vidala, she is a strict and uncompromising educator.
- Eva Foote as Aunt Estee, the youngest Aunt whose energy and kindness earn her “cool Aunt” status amongst her students.
- Isolde Ardies as Hulda, a guileless girl, full of excitement at the prospect of womanhood. Her frank observations and optimism have earned her loyal friends.
- Shechinah Mpumlwana as Jehosheba, a competitive classmate from a respected family who is relentless in her pursuit of a high-status marriage.
- Birva Pandya as Miriam, a girl on the cusp of womanhood who struggles under the pressure of marriage season.
- Kira Guloien as Rosa, a caring and dedicated Martha, Rosa is a maternal figure to Agnes and a much-needed source of love in an otherwise cold household.
Elisabeth Moss isn't in the cast, although she will serve as an executive producer. Deadline says the "hope" is that she will guest star at some point; The Testaments is set around 15 years after the original series, so it makes sense that June's impact might be felt in the new show. Bruce Miller, who served as showrunner on the original Handmaid's Tale, will also manage things on The Testaments. Continuity will be assured.
The Handmaid's Tale may have lost buzz over the years, but it put Hulu into awards consideration, and I get why they want to capitalize on its success. In the meanwhile, fans can enjoy the final season of the original show.
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