Is Hulu’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ A Standalone Series, Or Will It Be Renewed For Season 2?


The Handmaid’s Tale has not even aired yet on Hulu, However, with glowing early reviews, fans are already asking if this series, based on the dystopian book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, is a standalone or if it will be renewed for Season 2.

While Margaret Atwood has written other dystopian novels, including a trilogy (Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam), The Handmaid’s Tale is a standalone book. The novel was left open-ended, though, so there is certainly the potential for Hulu to continue the story of The Handmaid’s Tale with a second season. However, how likely is that to happen?

[Image by Hulu]

Hulu has not yet made an official announcement about Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale, nor is it likely until the ratings for Season 1 start trickling in. However, the cast and crew seemed optimistic when questioned during the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Season 1 of The Handmaid’s Tale will consist of 10, one-hour episodes and will follow Margaret Atwood’s book and plot quite closely. Season 1 will delve into the backstories of some of the smaller book characters with more detail in the television series, leading to the chance of exploration if Hulu renews the series for Season 2.

“In the book you stay with Offred the whole time. In the show you may not. You’ll just have to watch and see,” said Reed Morano, who directed the first three episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, according to Variety.

As a result, viewers will get the chance to find out more about the horrific events leading up to the present day depicted in the book. Therefore, characters like Ofglen (played by Alexis Bledel in Hulu’s adaptation) will likely get more screen time in Hulu’s adaptation.

[Image by Hulu]

The Handmaid’s Tale showrunner, Brian Miller, also revealed at the Tribeca Film Festival that there are a lot of places to explore in the world of The Handmaid’s Tale, especially considering the end of Margaret Atwood’s book.

“Once you create this world you have a lot of places to go. The end of the book is quite a mystery so I get to make it up.”

But none of this suggests The Handmaid’s Tale could be renewed for Season 2, only that Season 1 will expand on the content in the book.

Brian Miller does seem to suggest that, with the creation of this world via Hulu’s adaptation, there could be more to explore in Season 2. However, it was The Handmaid’s Tale executive producer, Warren Littlefield, that really hinted at their plans for Season 2 and — potentially — beyond.

“We’ve only scratched the surface with the first 10 hours,” Littlefield revealed. “Our hope is that we leave you with the feeling ‘We have to have more.'”

While things look promising, as yet, fans will likely have to wait until Season 1 of The Handmaid’s Tale has aired before Hulu confirms one way or another about Season 2.

Here’s the official synopsis for Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalism in its militarized ‘return to traditional values.’ As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is a Handmaid in the Commander’s household, one of the castes of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate the world. In this terrifying society, Offred must navigate between Commanders, their cruel Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids – where anyone could be a spy for Gilead – all with one goal: to survive and find the daughter that was taken from her.”

The trailer for Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is below.

Are you looking forward to Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale? Are you hoping Hulu will renew it for Season 2? Let us know by commenting below.

The Handmaid’s Tale will air exclusively on Hulu from April 26. Viewers outside of the U.S. will need to tune into their local providers to find out if The Handmaid’s Tale will be screened locally.

[Featured Image by Hulu]

Share this article: Is Hulu’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ A Standalone Series, Or Will It Be Renewed For Season 2?
More from Inquisitr