Hulu has announced details for 'The Testaments', a spinoff series from 'The Handmaid's Tale' starring Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia. The show, based on Margaret Atwood's 2019 novel, explores a new generation's struggles in Gilead and is set to debut in April 2026. Creator Bruce Miller describes it as showing an 'opposite' side of the dystopian regime.
'The Testaments' continues the story from Margaret Atwood's Booker Prize-winning novel published in 2019, serving as a sequel to 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Set years after the events of the original series, it follows a coming-of-age narrative for young women in the theocratic society of Gilead, who have known no other life and face arranged marriages and servitude. The protagonists include Aunt Lydia, Agnes (also known as Hannah), and Daisy, each grappling with their ties to the regime.
Ann Dowd reprises her role as Aunt Lydia, now leading the Pearl Girls—a group of women who choose to join Gilead voluntarily. The series is set four to five years after the end of 'The Handmaid's Tale', with Lydia undergoing a moral shift, becoming more protective of the girls rather than rebellious. As Dowd told TV Insider, Lydia questions what Gilead means to her now, focusing on the Pearl Girls' devotion and their decision to seek healing in the regime.
Chase Infiniti plays Agnes/Hannah, June and Luke's daughter from the original series, who trains to become an Aunt after learning horrifying customs about early marriages. Lucy Halliday portrays Daisy, a Canadian teen who infiltrates Gilead under the alias Jade to gather intelligence and dismantle it, eventually allying with Agnes and Mayday. The cast also features Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite, a privileged teen; Amy Seimetz as Paula, Agnes's stepmother; and others including Brad Alexander, Mabel Li, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien.
Creator Bruce Miller, who stepped down as showrunner for 'The Handmaid's Tale' final season to focus on this project, explained to Deadline: 'It’s about growing up Gilead... These are the most precious girls in Gilead. And yet you start to realize they’re walking a plank as well, just like the Handmaids.' The series includes a time jump of 15 years after Season 1 of 'The Handmaid's Tale', allowing space for the original show's plot. While June Osborne, Nick, and Luke are mentioned, Elisabeth Moss indicated she is unlikely to appear, telling TV Insider: 'I mean, no... [But] I would totally lie to you if I was!' The spinoff premieres in April 2026 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally, with an exact date to be announced later.
