Hulu’s critically and commercially acclaimed adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale has been renewed for a sixth and reportedly final season ahead of the premiere of its fifth season.
Creator, showrunner, and executive producer Bruce Miller commented at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival regarding the renewal, “It has been a true honour to tell the story of Margaret Atwood’s ground-breaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale.”
“We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point.”
Miller told The Hollywood Reporter “It’s been a very, very, very luxurious time that I’ve had to think about what happens at the end of this story and exactly how we’d like to get there as a company.”
“I’m very glad we’re being able to do it on our own terms because I know how lucky that makes us — all the actors and creative people who put their hearts and souls into it — to close up the play the way you want. Dropping the curtain the way you want is such a huge privilege.”
In addition to announcing the renewal, Hulu revealed that Miller is also in development on The Testaments, a follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale which picks up the story several years later.
The fifth season of The Handmaid’s Tale stars Elisabeth Moss, Bradley Whitford, Yvonne Strahovski, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, and Sam Jaeger.
The fifth and penultimate season of The Handmaid’s Tale debuted in the US with a two-part premiere on September 14, with the remaining eight episodes released weekly until November 9 2022. Broadcaster Channel 4 has exclusive rights to televise the new season in the UK, however, a release date has not yet been set. For previous seasons of the show, there has been a gap of roughly two months between the US and UK premiere, so most estimates indicate an early November UK debut.
The first four seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale can be watched on Amazon Prime Video.
Words by Luke Horwitz
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