Hulu Officially Greenlights The Handmaid's Tale Spinoff The Testaments

The news is official: The Testaments has been picked up to series at Hulu and will go into production soon. The streamer announced the update with a photo from the table read (below) and some news: The Handmaid's Tale actress Ann Dowd, who plays Aunt Lydia, has been confirmed to star in the sequel, as expected, and Elisabeth Moss — lead actress, director and executive producer of The Handmaid's Tale — will executive produce The Testaments.

©The Hollywood Reporter - Greta Zozula

In addition to previously announced leads Chase Infiniti, who plays Agnes, and Lucy Halliday, who plays Daisy, new roles are cast for Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya and Kira Guloien. Rowan Blanchard (Shunammite) and Mattea Conforti (Becka) were previously announced.

The streamer’s follow-up series to The Handmaid’s Tale is an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel, with creator Bruce Miller serving as showrunner. Miller also created Hulu’s Emmy-winning saga The Handmaid’s Tale, an adaptation of Atwood’s 1985 best-selling dystopian novel.

The Testaments has been in active development at the streamer with MGM since Miller began serious work on the series in 2022. The series was first announced in 2019 with Warren Littlefield attached as an executive producer. Miller, who has helmed The Handmaid's Tale since its inception, handed day-to-day oversight of that series' sixth and final season to executive producers Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang. They will serve as co-showrunners on the series finale, which debuts Tuesday, April 8.

The Testaments will continue the world of Gilead, picking up years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale. Agnes, as viewers of The Handmaid's Tale will know, is the Gilead name for Hannah, the daughter of June Osborne (played by Moss), who is played by Jordana Blake in The Handmaid's Tale. The current series centers on June's plight to reunite and free her daughter, and The Testaments is expected to continue the Hannah/Agnes story from within Gilead.

Moss recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the “visceral emotional experience” of becoming a mother herself when filming the final season of June’s story in The Handmaid’s Tale. “It was incredibly meaningful to be able to end this show as a mom, I got to tell you,” she said. “Because I’m playing this character who is this iconic mother figure. All mothers are heroines, and she’s definitely a heroine.”

The Testaments is described as a coming-of-age story in which a new generation of young women in Gilead struggle to cope with the bleak future that awaits them. For these young women, growing up in Gilead is all they have ever known, with no tangible memory of the outside world before their indoctrination into this life. Faced with the prospect of being married off and living a life of servitude, they will be forced to seek out allies, both new and old, to aid in their fight for freedom and the lives they deserve.

Here are Hulu’s character descriptions for all the actors (minus Aunt Lydia and Agnes):

Lucy Halliday plays Daisy, a young Canadian teen whose life is turned upside down when she learns of her connection to the Republic of Gilead.

Rowan Blanchard stars as Shunammite, a spoiled teen from a prominent Gilead family whose status earns her a certain level of respect and power among her peers.

Mattea Conforti is Becka, a girl from humble beginnings who goes to school with Gilead’s elite. As she grows into an adult, she begins to question whether she wants the life she’s been groomed for.

Mabel Li plays Aunt Vidala, a strict disciplinarian and the heir to the Gilead women's sphere.

Amy Seimetz plays Paula. Her recent marriage to a high-ranking commander has elevated her social status, but her perfect life is complicated by her new stepdaughter.

Brad Alexander stars as Garth, a young commander who becomes involved in the private lives of the girls he has sworn to protect.

Zarrin Darnell-Martin plays Aunt Gabbana, a staunch advocate of Gilead's values ​​and Aunt Vidala's right-hand woman, she is a strict and uncompromising educator.

Eva Foote is Aunt Estee, the youngest aunt whose energy and kindness earn her the status of “cool aunt” among her students.

Isolde Ardies plays Hulda, an unsuspecting girl excited about the prospect of womanhood. Her candid observations and optimism have earned her loyal friends.

Shechinah Mpumlwana plays Jehosheba, a competitive classmate from a respected family who is tireless in her pursuit of a high-status marriage.

Birva Pandya stars as Miriam, a girl on the cusp of womanhood struggling under the pressures of wedding season.

Kira Guloien plays Rosa, a caring and devoted Martha. Rosa is a mother figure to Agnes and a much-needed source of love in an otherwise cold household.

The Testaments will go into production on April 7.