Will There Be The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6?

It’s finally happening: filming is underway for the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu’s hit dystopian series based on Margaret Atwood’s seminal classic novel. Here’s what you need to know.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6: Plot, Cast, Release Date

Will There Be The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6?

Yes, a sixth season of Hulu’s hit series, The Handmaid’s Tale, is officially in the works, with filming confirmed to have commenced earlier this month. The season got the greenlight way back in September 2022, ahead of season 5 airing that autumn – so there has been a long wait for season 6. This is all down to strike action delaying the process, as well as series lead Elizabeth Moss’ pregnancy in real life.

What Will Happen?

In short, a lot. After season 5, there are lots of threads to explore. For one, there’s Serena fleeing Toronto for Vancouver, hoping to reach Hawaii. Will she make it? And will June be there, too? Luke has been captured, meanwhile, after handing himself in to spare June and Nichole, leaving his future uncertain; will he escape and rejoin June in her efforts to defeat Gilead?

Elsewhere, Nick is in hot water: he assaulted Commander Lawrence, his pregnant wife is distancing herself from him, and his undeniable connection with June is constantly drawing him back into trouble. Meanwhile, Janine has been taken by The Eyes, leaving Aunt Lydia heartbroken.

While we don’t know what will happen in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 for sure, Moss has called it ‘big and wild’, sharing that it ‘goes to many different places’ and is ‘very, very surprising all the way through.’ She also told Business Insider that the season is ‘absolutely for the fans’. ‘It’s definitely for our audience,’ she says. ‘It’s definitely for the people that have stuck with us for five seasons, and we’re kind of making this one for them.’

(c) Sophie Giraud/Hulu

The Cast

We expect plenty of fan favourites to return for season 6, alongside a new character played by Josh Charles. No news just yet on the part he will play in the story. The rest of the cast will be as follows:

• Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
• Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
• Madeline Brewer as Janine
• Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia
• O-T Fagbenle as Luke
• Max Minghella as Nick
• Samira Wiley as Moira
• Bradley Whitford as Commander Lawrence
• Amanda Brugel as Rita
• Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello
• Ever Carradine as Naomi Lawrence

Will Emily/Alexis Bledel Return?

We didn’t see her in season 5, with Emily (Alexis Bledel) returning to Gilead to seek revenge for the violence wrought against her by the regime. Will she return for The Handmaid’s Tale season 6? The door has been left ‘open’, says showrunner Bruce Miller. He told Entertainment Tonight, ‘That character was not at the end of her journey as far as we were concerned.’ Fingers crossed, then.

Release Date

The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 will arrive on our screens in spring 2025, Hulu has revealed – but no specific date just yet. Watch this space.

Will There Be The Handmaid’s Tale Season 7?

No, Hulu has confirmed season 7 is not on the cards, and The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 will conclude the series. Star and director Moss has called the final instalment ‘pretty wild’. ‘It definitely has final season energy,’ she told TVLine.

‘It has been a true honour to tell the story of Margaret Atwood’s groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale,’ showrunner Bruce Miller said in a statement. ‘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.’

However, all is not lost…

(c) Sophie Giraud/Hulu

Is The Testaments Going To Be A TV Series?

Yes, an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments (2019) is also in the works. A proto sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), The Testaments was released a whopping 35 years after The Handmaid’s Tale was originally published, with the events of the novel taking place 15 years after the first instalment and centring on Aunt Lydia.

Because the TV series goes beyond the limits of the novel, exploring the wider universe over a span of about five years, The Testaments TV series will pick up about 10 years after the finale of The Handmaid’s Tale season 6. Ann Dowd, star of The Handmaid’s Tale, is expected to return to her role of Aunt Lydia for The Testaments.

How To Watch The Handmaid’s Tale In The UK

All five seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale are available to stream on Prime Video in the UK. amazon.co.uk

If you don’t have a Prime subscription, episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale are usually broadcasted on Channel 4 before being available to stream on channel4.com. We expect to see the show return to the channel shortly after season 6 arrives in the US.