The Testaments TV Show: Release Date, Cast Reveals, and How It Continues The Handmaid’s Tale Saga

Fans of dystopian drama can finally glimpse the future of Gilead: Hulu’s long-gestating adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s Booker-winning novel “The Testaments” is shifting from development limbo into active production, and early details promise a sequel that raises the stakes well beyond “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Production moves and creative team Hulu has tapped Emmy-nominated director Mike Barker—already a veteran of 12 Handmaid’s Tale episodes—to helm the first three installments and executive-produce alongside series creator Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield and Steve Stark. Cameras are expected to roll in Toronto and Mississauga this summer, positioning the show for a likely 2026 premiere slot on Hulu in the U.S. and on Prime Video internationally via MGM Television’s distribution pipeline. Cast: old favorites, new faces • Ann Dowd returns as the formidable Aunt Lydia, now a power broker whose memoir could bring Gilead down. • Rising star Chase Infiniti (“Presumed Innocent”) has sealed a breakout role as Agnes, June’s now-teenage daughter raised inside the regime. • British newcomer Lucy Halliday (“Blue Jean”) portrays Daisy, a Canadian teen who discovers she is smuggled royalty of Gilead. Additional casting—including the crucial roles of Nicole, Commander Judd and the Pearl Girls—is underway through MGM’s Toronto offices, with open calls generating industry buzz among actors eager to join Hulu’s flagship franchise. Plot: a time jump and three converging POVs Set 15 years after June Osborne’s final bow, “The Testaments” flips the narrative structure. Rather than one Handmaid’s voice, audiences follow three intertwining diaries: Lydia’s covert rebellion inside Ardua Hall, Agnes’ arranged marriage within Gilead’s upper crust, and Daisy’s underground activist journey in Canada. Atwood’s novel already merges the timelines in a brisk thriller; Miller’s writers’ room is expanding that fusion across ten hour-long episodes to deepen backstories and explore the wider world, from Chicago’s war zone to Mayday’s northern safe houses. How “Handmaid’s Tale” sets the stage The recently aired series finale of “The Handmaid’s Tale” teased Lydia’s secret files and Hannah’s uncertain destiny, deliberately positioning viewers for “The Testaments,” according to showrunner Bruce Miller in a post-finale interview. Elisabeth Moss has said she is “open to guest appearances,” but June will not be a central narrator; instead, her legacy drives the younger generation’s choices. Release date window and episode count While Hulu has not locked a premiere date, internal scheduling documents point to a late-2026 debut, after the streamer’s tent-pole Marvel slate and ahead of holiday awards pushes. Season 1 is ordered for ten episodes, mirroring Handmaid’s Season 1; renewal discussions will hinge on viewership but MGM insiders call the spin-off “built for multi-season arcs.” What this means for the franchise • Expanded world-building: Expect new cities, black-market tech and glimpses of post-Gilead reconstruction. • Franchise synergy: Penguin Random House plans a paperback tie-in timed to the premiere, while Audible is recording a cast-read companion podcast. • Cultural relevance: Reproductive-rights debates keep the property timely, and Hulu is eyeing live Town Hall-style discussions after key episodes. SEO takeaway With a returning powerhouse like Aunt Lydia, fresh protagonists Agnes and Daisy, and Mike Barker’s cinematic eye, “The Testaments” TV show positions Hulu to dominate conversation around dystopian storytelling just as real-world politics make the franchise feel chillingly present. Bookmark a 2026 release window, because the next chapter of Gilead is officially in motion—and resistance has never looked so inevitable.