In a world still haunted by the rise of Gilead, ‘The Testaments’ emerges as both a continuation—and a reckoning.
Drawn from the 2019 novel by Margaret Atwood, the series extends the universe first brought to television in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (which was also adapted from Atwood’s seminal novel) and is set years after the original story. What sets this iteration apart, however, is that it shifts focus from survival to legacy, tracing how a new generation inherits, questions, and ultimately challenges the ideologies that once seemed so powerful.
At the center of this new chapter are a new batch of voices, like Mattea Conforti and Rowan Blanchard’s characters. Conforti plays Becka, a girl navigating the expectations placed on future wives, while Blanchard’s Shunammite embodies the conviction of someone more fully aligned with the system. Ultimately, the series explores how belief, doubt, and identity take root in a controlled society and how it takes just a few people to question things for cracks to form.
“I was a big Margaret Atwood fan and a big ‘Handmaid's Tale’ fan. Stepping into the universe that I had so much respect and acknowledgment for was really incredible—and working with the people from ‘The Handmaid's Tale’ and that family became such a supportive environment,” explains Conforti when noting why she wanted to sign on with this role. “It was amazing to be a part of. And working with such an incredible group of young women around me also made the experience that much better. I really was excited to get into Becca's character and really figure out how hesitant and doubtful she is about her upbringing and Gilead in and of itself.”
Blanchard had similar sentiments when gearing up for this project.
“The Handmaid's Tale’ and Margaret Atwood's work have always been just so relevant. I think as a young woman, you're taught about ‘The Handmaid's Tale’ sometimes in school. And when I got an audition for this, I felt really excited because it just seems like a very challenging world to perform in,” Blanchard recalls. “It was difficult and in the best type of way to form a character in a world like Gilead that's so exact and confined and not very familiar. It was a good challenge. And I had a nice time throughout the season discovering where Shunamite's softness is and where her heart is. She has kind of a rough exterior, and finding the kindness and the love was a nice challenge.”
This fresh series has carved out space for new stories within a familiar world, but, its cast makes it clear that this is not just an extension—it’s an evolution. As these younger characters come into focus, so does the question of whether this chapter can step out on its own.
“With so much source material and so much reference material, at the end of the day, it's kind of just about the script that you're working on and what's happening in that script,” continues Blanchard. “I think that for me, it was just easier to stay in what was happening to my character and in the story rather than constantly referencing all of this other stuff. I also didn't want to come in with any preconceived notions because I think it was important for the performances to be authentic, for them to be connected to what's on the page and not predetermined.”
“Having conversations with Bruce Miller and one of our directors, Mike Barker, [we talked] about how to best connect the themes and messages from ‘The Handmaid's Tale’ over into 'The Testaments.' But I think what was so great about filming this show is that it really could be its own standalone on its own because it's so relevant thematically without ‘Handmaid's’ backing it up as well,” adds Conforti. “It could be an individual show, but it's also great coming from ‘The Handmaid's Tale’ and also having that fan base and that family coming there to support you as well.”
‘The Testaments’ premieres April 8 on Hulu with three episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 27.
