🎬 The Testaments: A Gilead Sequel Set to Rekindle the Rebellion

Hulu and MGM Television are teaming up once again to expand The Handmaid’s Tale universe with a high-stakes spinoff series: The Testaments. Based on Margaret Atwood’s acclaimed sequel novel, the new series is poised to reignite the flames of resistance in the dystopian Republic of Gilead. Production officially kicked off in Toronto on April 7, 2025, shortly after the Season 6 premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale, marking the beginning of a new era for Atwood’s chilling world.

🗓 Timeline & Streaming Plans

Set roughly 3 to 5 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale—as opposed to the 15-year leap in Atwood’s original novel—The Testaments keeps its timeline closely aligned with the ages of June’s children, Hannah and Nicole. This adjustment ensures a smoother continuity and emotional connection for long-time fans.

With filming underway, the release window is tentatively set for mid-to-late 2026, though a 2027 debut remains a possibility depending on post-production. Like its predecessor, The Testaments will stream exclusively on Hulu, which continues to serve as the home for The Handmaid’s Tale’s six seasons.

🎭 Cast & Characters

The series boasts a compelling ensemble of both familiar and fresh faces:

• Ann Dowd returns as the formidable Aunt Lydia, now the central figure. This time, Lydia’s role deepens—she becomes both an antagonist and an unlikely heroine grappling with inner turmoil and covert resistance.

• Chase Infiniti steps into the role of Agnes Jemima, formerly known as Hannah, June and Luke’s daughter. Raised within Gilead and trained as an Aunt, Agnes begins to question the world she was born into.

• Lucy Halliday, a rising star with a BAFTA nomination, plays Daisy—formerly Nicole—who was raised in Canada and only later discovers her true lineage and ties to Gilead.

• Rowan Blanchard takes on the role of Shunammite, a privileged Gilead teenager whose carefully crafted life collides with rebellion.

Other exciting additions to the cast include Mattea Conforti as Becka, Mabel Li as Aunt Vidala, Amy Seimetz as Paula, and Brad Alexander as Commander Garth, among others.

Though Elisabeth Moss is not confirmed to reprise her role as June Osborne on screen, she continues to serve as an executive producer. Showrunner Bruce Miller has hinted at potential cameo appearances—but nothing has been locked in.

📚 Plot & Themes

The Testaments unfolds through three alternating perspectives: Aunt Lydia, Agnes, and Daisy.

• Aunt Lydia, now entrenched in the inner workings of Ardua Hall, finds herself at a moral crossroads. Wracked with guilt and disillusionment, she begins secretly aiding the Mayday resistance—putting her power and life at risk.

• Agnes, raised with Gilead’s dogma, starts to uncover painful truths about her own identity and the sister she never knew existed. As she trains to become an Aunt, her loyalties begin to shift.

• Daisy, brought up in the safety of Canada, is thrust into turmoil when her hidden heritage surfaces. Her journey back to Gilead is both a search for truth and a mission for justice.

The tone of the series promises a distinct shift—infused with younger voices, a more pastoral aesthetic, and a palette that softens Gilead’s bleakness without erasing its brutality. Bruce Miller describes it as “a different vibe—but make no mistake, Gilead is still there.”

With a gripping narrative, a talented cast, and the thematic weight of Atwood’s prose, The Testaments is shaping up to be more than just a sequel. It’s a generational reckoning—where daughters confront the world their mothers fought to escape and decide whether to burn it down or rebuild it anew.

The rebellion isn’t over. In fact, it’s just getting started.