It’s official: The Handmaid’s Tale will return to Hulu for its second season beginning April 25th. The first two episodes will premiere on that date, with subsequent episodes to be released every Wednesday. Additionally, Hulu has shared a teaser trailer, which you can watch above.
The entirety of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel was told in season one, leaving showrunner Bruce Miller to come up with new, original storylines for season two. Fortunately, he had Atwood by his side serving as a consulting producer.
Speaking to EW, Miller kept plot details close to the vest, saying only that season two will explore the lives of the refugees from Gilead and those who have been banished to the polluted and contaminated colonies across North America. The trailer also doesn’t give away much as it features a series of vivid, terrifying, and dialogue-free scenes from the forthcoming season, including Elisabeth Moss’ character June wearing a muzzle and a first look at the infamous “colonies.”
The first season of Handmaid’s Tale received near universal acclaim. At the Golden Globes this past Sunday, it won Best Television Series – Drama and Best Actress in a Drama Series (Moss). Last year, the show won eight Emmy Awards — including Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Lead Actress — and received similar accolades from the Television Critics Association.
Update: Miller spoke to reporters during Hulu’s Television Critics Association press stop and divulged a bit more about the forthcoming season (via The Hollywood Reporter). “I wouldn’t predict too much about season two from season one,” explained Miller. “And I don’t think anything we do is post-Atwood. I think we’re living in an Atwood world. We saved a lot of things from season one that we weren’t able to cover. It’s just an expansion of the world. We’re certainly not beyond the story that she was telling. She’s still the mother of this series.”
Miller also revealed that Marisa Tomei will make an appearance during the season.
Meanwhile, Moss said, “So much of the season is about motherhood. It’s a bit of a ticking time bomb. And the complications of that are really wonderful to explore…. It’s a dark season. I would say, arguably, it’s darker than season one — if that’s possible.”