Hulu has officially ordered The Handmaid’s Tale follow-up The Testaments to series with production set to begin on April 7. From executive producers Bruce Miller and Warren Littlefield, the drama is based on the 2019 Margaret Atwood novel of the same name set in the dystopian theocracy of Gilead more than 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale.
The Handmaid’s Tale lead Elisabeth Moss will also executive produce the project. As Deadline previously reported, the hope is for Moss to guest star in the sequel, reprising the role of June Osbourne, who is linked to Agnes and Daisy. With The Handmaid’s Tale set to premiere its final season on April 8, appearances from June will depend on whether she survives the rebellion unless they opt to go the flashback route.
The Testaments also rounds out its cast with 9 new actors: Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien.
The coming-of-age story finds a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them. For these young women, growing up in Gilead is all they have ever known, having no tangible memories of the outside world before their indoctrination into this life. Facing the prospect of being married off and living a life of servitude, they will be forced to search for allies, both new and old, to help in their fight for freedom and the life they deserve.
The previously announced principal cast includes Chase Infiniti as Agnes, Lucy Halliday as Daisy, Ann Dowd reprising her The Handmaid’s Tale role of Aunt Lydia, Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite and Mattea Conforti as Becka.
Here are description of the new actors’ characters:
Li plays Aunt Vidala, a stern disciplinarian and the heir-apparent to the women’s sphere of Gilead. Seimetz plays Paula, whose recent marriage to a high-ranking Commander has raised her social status. But her perfect life is complicated by her new step-daughter. Alexander plays Garth, a young Commander, who becomes involved in the personal lives of the girls he’s sworn to protect. Darnell-Martin plays Aunt Gabbana, a firm proponent of Gilead values and right-hand to Aunt Vidala. She is a strict and uncompromising educator. Foote plays Aunt Estee, the youngest Aunt, whose energy and kindness earn her “cool Aunt” status amongst her students. Ardies plays Hulda, a guileless girl, full of excitement at the prospect of womanhood. Her frank observations and optimism have earned her loyal friends. Mpumlwana plays Jehosheba, a competitive classmate from a respected family who is relentless in her pursuit of a high-status marriage. Pandya plays Miriam, a girl on the cusp of womanhood who struggles under the pressure of marriage season. Guloien plays Rosa, a caring and dedicated Martha, a maternal figure to Agnes and a much-needed source of love in an otherwise cold household.
The Testaments is created by showrunner Miller, who executive produces alongside Littlefield, Moss, Steve Stark, Shana Stein, Maya Goldsmith, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, and Mike Barker, who will also direct the first three episodes. Priscilla Poriand will serve as co-executive producer. The series is produced by MGM Television.