With Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, the anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, set for release on bookshelves next week, Hulu is wasting no time picking it up. Hulu and MGM are currently in the process of developing the book as a spin-off sequel to their hit series The Handmaid’s Tale.
Hulu and MGM are in discussions with Handmaid’s Tale creator and showrunner Bruce Miller about how best to incorporate the upcoming book as an extension to the series. Whether or not they will wait for The Handmaid’s Tale to conclude or develop it alongside the main show remains to be seen.
“Margaret Atwood is a literary icon who continues to delight and challenge readers through her provocative and compelling prose,” said Steve Stark, President of Television Production at MGM. “She has been an incredible creative partner and resource to MGM throughout the production of Handmaid’s and we look forward to working with her on the story’s exciting next chapter.”
“Margaret Atwood is one of the visionary storytellers of her generation,” said Craig Erwich, Senior Vice President of Originals, Hulu. “From her award-winning poetry, short-stories and novels, Margaret has continually pushed boundaries and broken barriers to bring innovative stories to life.”
SEE ALSO: Hulu renews The Handmaid’s Tale for season 4
The Testaments picks up 15 years after the end of The Handmaid’s Tale and will follow three female narrators. The official synopsis reads:
“When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her — freedom, prison or death. With The Testaments, the wait is over. Margaret Atwood’s sequel picks up the story more than 15 years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.”
The Handmaid’s Tale has been a huge success for Hulu, garnering multiple Emmy and Golden Globes Awards throughout its run. The show stars Elizabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Alexis Bledel and Ann Dowd. While the first season followed Atwood’s narrative, future seasons have gone beyond the plot of the book and done its own story, leaving the question how The Testaments could impact its future or vice versa.
