‘The Testaments’ Is Gilead’s Next Chapter: Creator and Stars Unpack Book Changes and That ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Surprise

Showrunner Bruce Miller and stars including Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, and Ann Dowd provided exclusive insights to The Hollywood Reporter on the set of the Hulu and MGM adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 'The Testaments' in early 2025, detailing their approach to translating the novel to screen and its deliberate connection to the ongoing 'The Handmaid's Tale' series. The interview reveals the creative team's mission to launch what they hope will be another television revolution, building upon the cultural impact of its predecessor while navigating the challenges of adapting a beloved literary sequel. The core of the discussion centered on the significant changes made from Atwood's 2019 Booker Prize-winning novel to the television format. Miller explained that while the book's three-narrator structure—following Aunt Lydia, and the daughters of Offred, Agnes and Nicole—remains foundational, the television series requires expansion and visual dramatization of events only hinted at in the text. The creative team emphasized their close collaboration with Atwood to ensure the spirit of the novel is preserved while crafting a standalone narrative that can captivate both readers and viewers new to the Gilead universe. A major revelation from the set visit was the confirmed narrative link between 'The Testaments' and the original Hulu series 'The Handmaid's Tale.' The producers unpacked how the new show will serve as both a sequel and a parallel story, with its timeline eventually dovetailing with and extending beyond the events of the mother series. This integration aims to create a more expansive television saga, answering lingering questions about Gilead's future while introducing new heroines. The stars, including Ann Dowd reprising her Emmy-winning role as Aunt Lydia, spoke about deepening their characters' complexities, suggesting that 'The Testaments' will explore the moral ambiguities and mechanisms of survival within the theocratic regime from fresh perspectives.