"Handmaid's Tale" sequel: Release date for "The Testaments" has been set

All fans of "The Handmaid's Tale" should make a note of this date. On April 8, 2026, the new sequel series "The Testaments" will start with three episodes on Hulu, as the streaming channel has announced. It will then continue with a new episode every week. The first season will comprise a total of ten episodes.

In terms of content, the dystopian series takes place five years after the end of "The Handmaid's Tale". The plot is once again set in the fictional, totalitarian state of Gilead, where women are forced to bear children. The continuation of the series focuses on young women who are prepared in Gilead to serve their husbands as future spouses. Two of them are Agnes, played by Chase Infiniti, and Daisy, played by Lucy Halliday. While Agnes is considered pious and dutiful, Daisy is a convert who is not from Gilead. At the brutal elite school run by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) , they are trained to be obedient at all times. In keeping with the misogynistic dictatorship that prevails in Gilead. However, a connection develops between Agnes and Daisy that "that will upend their past, their present, and their future", as the press release for the series states.

Elisabeth Moss behind the camera for "The Testaments"

Like "The Handmaid's Tale", "The Testaments" is also based on a novel by acclaimed author Margaret Atwood. Published in 2019, the book is a sequel to the literary classic "The Handmaid's Tale" from 1985. In addition to Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday and Ann Dowd, the cast includes the following actors: Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Rowan Blanchard, Mattea Conforti, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya and Kira Guloien.

Having already developed the "Handmaid's Tale" series, Bruce Miller is now also responsible for "The Testaments" as showrunner and executive producer. The other producers include Warren Littlefield, Steve Stark, Shana Stein, Maya Goldsmith, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears and Mike Barker. The latter will direct the first three episodes. The executive producer of the sequel is also Elisabeth Moss, who played the protagonist June Osborne for six seasons in the previous series "The Handmaid's Tale".

Rising star: Chase Infiniti

Before her involvement in "The Handmaid's Tale", Moss was already known to a wider audience, including through her central role as Peggy Olson in the highly acclaimed series "Mad Men". For "The Testaments", on the other hand, the makers are relying on two previously relatively unknown faces - and have already landed a stroke of luck with Chase Infiniti. While Lucy Halliday is still a relatively unknown quantity with no well-known film or series productions to her name, Chase Infiniti is a different story. The 25-year-old made her screen debut last year in Paul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed and multi-award-winning thriller comedy "One Battle After Another". Alongside internationally renowned stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall, she played a central role as Willa Ferguson, the daughter of DiCaprio's protagonist Bob Ferguson.

She received much praise and various film awards for her performance. She is already regarded as one of Hollywood's most promising newcomers. If "The Testaments" is as successful as the original "The Handmaid's Tale", the series is likely to cement its status even further. After all, its predecessor already enjoyed a large fan base and was also appreciated by critics. In addition to various awards, "The Handmaid's Tale" became the first series from a streaming service to win a Primetime Emmy for Best Drama Series in 2017. Elisabeth Moss was also honored that year: as best lead actress in a drama series. It remains to be seen whether "The Testaments" can also achieve such success at the next Emmy Awards. In any case, fans of "The Handmaid's Tale" can already look forward to the new series.