‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Renewed For 6th & Final Season. Follow-up ‘The Testaments’ In Active Development
Hulu has renewed the award-winning hit drama series, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘ for a 6th and final season the streaming service has announced. They also revealed ‘The Testaments’, a follow-up series to the drama which picks up things years later, is in active development from creator, showrunner and executive producer Bruce Miller.
Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series stars Elisabeth Moss as a handmaid in Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birth rate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalist regime that treats fertile women as property of the state.
In the fifth season, June faces the consequences for killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose. The widowed Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto as Gilead’s influence creeps into Canada. Commander Lawrence works with Nick and Aunt Lydia as he tries to reform Gilead and rise in power. June, Luke and Moira fight Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah.
“It has been a true honour to tell the story of Margaret Atwood’s groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale,” said Bruce Miller, creator, showrunner and executive producer. “We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point.”
In 2017, Hulu made history as the first streaming service to win a Primetime Emmy Award in the Best Series category when the program took home the award for Outstanding Drama Series. Since then, the series has been the recipient of numerous accolades including a combined 15 Emmy Awards, and the prestigious Peabody Award.
“Five years ago, almost to the day, “The Handmaid’s Tale” made history when it became the first show to win an Emmy for a streaming service,” adds Craig Erwich, President, ABC Entertainment, Hulu & Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals. “In the time since, it has been a privilege and pleasure to work with some of the finest creative talent in our industry on this show – a distinct and exceptional group of people who continue to produce the highest quality television that has made and continues to make significant cultural impact. Bruce, Warren, Lizzie and the entire team at MGM have been amazing partners, and we hope fans enjoy these last two seasons.”
The fifth season stars Elisabeth Moss, Bradley Whitford, Yvonne Strahovski, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel and Sam Jaeger.
The fifth season premieres with two episodes on Wednesday, September 14th on Hulu in the USA. The drama is expected to return soon after that on Channel 4 in the UK, although we don’t yet have a date for it. If you’re wondering why a Hulu show is not moving to Disney+ UK, it is because it is a “buy-in” for the US streaming service from MGM, and not made by Disney themselves, so they don’t own the rights outside of the USA.
Whilst the drama is coming to an end, a follow-up series is in active development by Bruce Miller, based on ‘The Testaments’, the sequel novel by Margaret Atwood released in 2019. The book picks up more than fifteen years after the end of the first novel and begins with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from the Republic of Gilead. Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The third is a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is produced by MGM Television and executive produced by Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, Rachel Shukert, Sheila Hockin, John Weber, Frank Siracusa, Steve Stark and Kim Todd. MGM internationally distributes the series.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘ airs on Channel 4 in the UK, and Season 5 is expected to premiere in Autumn 2022. The drama premieres Wednesday, September 14th on Hulu in the USA. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
