Hulu will develop Atwood's new novel The Testaments into a TV series

The Handmaid's Tale based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name has been Hulu's flagship original series for the US-based video on demand provider.

New TV series planned

Thanks to The Testaments, Atwood's sequel to her Handmaid's Tail, Hulu is looking to develop the new novel also into a TV series with the cooperation of MGM television. As Deadline reports: "A follow-up to the award-winning The Handmaid’s Tale is in the works. MGM Television and Hulu are developing The Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s sequel to her best-selling dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale."

The Testaments

Plot details of Atwood's new novel are still under wraps but it is known to be set a full 15 years after the ending of the Handmaid's Tale. It is narrated by three female characters. Wherever the story goes MGM and Hulu are wanting to adapt it for TV.

The Handmaid's Tale series has already expanded beyond the scope of the original novel. The Testaments set long after the Handmaid's Tale could continue the story as future seasons of the Handmaid's Tale or it could be a sequel series. The book is to be published in just a few days September 10 so details of the plot will soon be available.

Atwood has collaborated with MGM before

As a recent article reports: “Margaret Atwood is a literary icon who continues to delight and challenge readers through her provocative and compelling prose,” said Steve Stark, President of Television Production at MGM. “She has been an incredible creative partner and resource to MGM throughout the production of Handmaid’s and we look forward to working with her on the story’s exciting next chapter.”

The new series will mark the third time that Atwood has worked with MGM Television. She worked on the The Handmaid's Tale series. MGM acquired the rights to Atwood's 2015 novel "The Heart Goes Last" which is the story of a young couple who were hit hard by job loss and bankruptcy in the middle of a nationwide economic collapse.

The Handmaid's Tale series was a hit

With its premier in April of 2017, the series became an instant hit. It was the first streaming show to win the Primetime Emmy Award. It has gone on to win several Emmy and Golden Globe awards, a Peabody Award and been honored by multiple Guilds.

Although there is no indication as yet when the new series will begin on Hulu or even when production will start it is obvious that MGM and Hulu are committed to expanding the existing series using the new material from The Testaments hoping for a continued success.

Published previously in the Digital Journal