Okay Handmaid's Tale fans get ready because Gilead is not done with us yet! Hulu is officially moving forward with " The Testaments " the sequel series and we have got some exciting casting news and plot details to share. It's time to head back into that chilling world but with a new generation taking center stage.
Rowan Blanchard and Mattea Conforti Join The Testaments Cast: Meet the New Faces of Gilead's Dystopian Future
Big casting news just dropped for "The Testaments"! Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard and Mattea Conforti from The Many Saints of Newark are officially joining the series as regulars. They will be part of a fresh group of young actresses bringing Margaret Atwood's sequel novel to life. We already knew Ann Dowd was coming back as the iconic Aunt Lydia and now we have got even more names to get excited about.
Blanchard is set to play Shunammite described as a "pampered teen" from a powerful Gilead family. Sounds like she is going to be part of Gilead's elite but maybe things are not as perfect as they seem in that world. Conforti will play Becka a girl from a less privileged background who goes to school with Gilead's upper crust. As she grows up she starts questioning the life path that has been laid out for her. Intriguing right?
These two will be joining Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday who were announced earlier. Infiniti will play Agnes (grown-up Hannah June's daughter) and Halliday is Daisy. Remember those names because they are going to be important.
15 Years Later: The Testaments Storyline Jumps Ahead and Focuses on a New Generation's Struggle
"The Testaments" is not just a rehash of " The Handmaid's Tale ". It jumps forward in time more than 15 years after the original series. Gilead is still around still oppressive but now the focus is on a younger generation who have only ever known this world. They don't have real memories of life before Gilead. This is their normal.
The official description says these young women are facing a future of arranged marriages and servitude. They are going to have to find allies both old and new to fight for freedom and the lives they deserve. Think coming-of-age story meets dystopian thriller. It sounds intense and gripping.
The series will explore the perspectives of three key characters Aunt Lydia Agnes and Daisy just like in Margaret Atwood's novel. We will see Gilead through their eyes and how they are each grappling with their place in this messed-up society.
Meet the Key Players: Shunammite Becka Agnes Daisy and Aunt Lydia's Evolving Role
Let's break down these main characters a bit more:
- Shunammite (Rowan Blanchard): A privileged teen from a powerful Gilead family. She has status and respect but maybe questions are bubbling under the surface of her pampered life.
- Becka (Mattea Conforti): From a humble background attending school with Gilead's elite. She starts to question the life planned for her.
- Agnes/Aunt Victoria (Chase Infiniti): June and Luke's daughter Hannah all grown up after being raised in Gilead. She becomes Aunt Victoria and gets involved with Mayday the resistance.
- Daisy (Lucy Halliday): A young Canadian teen who discovers a connection to Gilead and sneaks into the country as Jade to gather intel and try to bring Gilead down.
- Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd): Back and probably still formidable but as we know from later seasons of "The Handmaid's Tale" and the book her loyalty to Gilead is wavering. She is a complex character to say the least.
These are the women driving the story in "The Testaments". It is going to be fascinating to see how their paths intertwine and how they challenge Gilead from different angles.
Behind the Camera: Bruce Miller Stays On Board and Timeline for The Testaments Series
Good news Bruce Miller the creator and showrunner of "The Handmaid's Tale" is back for "The Testaments" as creator showrunner and executive producer. So the sequel series is in capable hands. He will be executive producing alongside Warren Littlefield and Steve Stark. Mike Barker who directed episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale" is set to direct the first three episodes of "The Testaments".
While "The Testaments" is in development we still have the final season of "The Handmaid's Tale" to look forward to. Bruce Miller stepped away from showrunner duties for season 6 to focus on the sequel series but he is still involved as a writer and EP for the final season of the original show. Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang are taking over as co-showrunners for "The Handmaid's Tale" Season 6.
"The Handmaid's Tale" final season is premiering in April. "The Testaments" will come out after that but a release date is not set yet. It is unlikely to premiere in 2025 but keep your eyes peeled for updates.
Aunt Lydia's Evolution: From Enforcer to Insider? Dowd Teases a Changed Perspective
Ann Dowd has hinted that Aunt Lydia's character is going to evolve significantly in "The Testaments". After her wavering loyalty to Gilead in "The Handmaid's Tale" Season 5 it sounds like her "blinders are coming down". She is starting to see Gilead for what it truly is not just what she thought it was supposed to be.
Dowd mentioned that Aunt Lydia is becoming more aware of her own complicity in the system and what is really going on beneath the surface of Gilead's propaganda. She is a smart woman and she realizes that men are in power. Her strategy now is to be alert aware patient and to make her moves slowly. It sounds like Aunt Lydia might be shifting from being an enforcer of Gilead's rules to someone working to change things from within.
Will June Nick and Luke Return? Possible Cameos and Connecting the Two Series
What about June Nick and Luke? Will Elisabeth Moss Max Minghella and O-T Fagbenle be part of "The Testaments"? The books do mention these characters but it is not clear how much they will feature in the series. It is definitely possible they could appear especially if their characters survive the final season of "The Handmaid's Tale". Even if not flashbacks are always an option. It would be great to see some connections between the original show and the sequel series bridging the gap between generations and stories.
The Testaments Main Cast List:
- Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
- Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite
- Mattea Conforti as Becka
- Chase Infiniti as Agnes/Aunt Victoria
- Lucy Halliday as Daisy