After the Mammoth Success of 'Handmaid's Tale', Hulu Bags the Sequel to the Original Book

The gigantic success of the series, Handmaid's Tale has been a game-changer for streaming service Hulu, and it seems to be only capitalizing on that even more. For the unknown, the show is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood; and there is now going to be a sequel to that book.

Hulu has announced that it has nabbed the sequel to the book too. According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, MGM and Hulu announced Wednesday that they will develop The Testaments, the sequel to Atwood's best-selling 1985 dystopian novel. The studio and the streaming service — the latter is already home to The Handmaid's Tale — are currently in discussions with showrunner Bruce Miller about how the The Testaments can become "an important extension" to his Emmy-winning drama starring Elisabeth Moss.

The Testaments, which publishes Sept. 10, picks up more than 15 years after the ambiguous ending of the original Handmaid’s Tale novel. The series, which recently wrapped its third season, has moved its story beyond the source material that drove the first season. 

Hulu renewed the flagship series toward the end of the third season, which continued to expand the world of Atwood's novel. The season began in the immediate aftermath of June's (Moss) decision to remain in Gilead after giving her infant daughter to Emily (Alexis Bledel) to take to freedom in Canada. The third season ended with a controversial cliffhanger set to transform the series, an ending that Miller described in detail to The Hollywood Reporter as a "a huge, huge change." A return date for season four hasn't been set. 

“Margaret Atwood is one of the visionary storytellers of her generation. From her award-winning poetry, short stories, and novels, Margaret has continually pushed boundaries and broken barriers to bring innovative stories to life,” says Craig Erwich, senior VP originals at Hulu, in a statement.

Steve Stark, president of television production at MGM, adds: “Margaret Atwood is a literary icon who continues to delight and challenge readers through her provocative and compelling prose. She has been an incredible creative partner and resource to MGM throughout the production of Handmaid’s and we look forward to working with her on the story’s exciting next chapter.”