The creator of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ sequel shares a clear vision for expanding the Gilead universe with three to five seasons of the new series.
The wait for answers about The Testaments’ future is finally over. Bruce Miller, the creative force behind both The Handmaid’s Tale and its sequel series, has shared concrete details about how long he plans to continue the story. The spinoff, which premiered its first three episodes on April 8, 2026, is already making waves with critics and audiences.
Miller revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he has mapped out a specific episode range for the entire series. He is thinking of roughly 30 to 50 episodes, which would translate into three to five seasons of the dystopian drama. This gives fans a clear picture of what to expect from the continuation of Margaret Atwood’s world.
Unlike the original show, where Miller had the final scene planned from the very start, his approach to The Testaments offers more room to grow. “I have a sense of where I want to end, but I don’t have a scene of where I want to go,” Miller explained. He wants to avoid the creative trap of running out of story if the show becomes a massive hit. “If you hit some crazy home run in success, you don’t want to say, ‘I’m screwed. I don’t have stuff,’” he stated.
How Many Seasons of ‘The Testaments’ Are Planned?
The 30-50 episode plan gives The Testaments a solid framework. The first season alone consists of 10 episodes, with new episodes releasing weekly on Hulu and Disney+. The season will run through May 27, 2026, with the finale arriving just before summer.
Miller’s thinking is rooted in practical television production. He wants to build a show that can end properly, unlike older series that stopped suddenly without warning. “I think just out of trying to end it in a satisfying way in the business environment that we exist in, I think of about 30 to 50 episodes. So three to five seasons,” he told Radio Times.
The creator also showed deep excitement for the new characters, especially Agnes, played by Chase Infiniti. “We could write Agnes scenes for the rest of our lives,” Miller said, making it clear that the creative team has no shortage of ideas for the young star.
Elisabeth Moss Returns as June in the Spinoff Series
The first three episodes of The Testaments brought a major surprise for viewers. Elisabeth Moss appears as June Osborne at the end of Episode 1 and plays a bigger role in Episode 3. Miller explained that June’s return was always part of the plan, not an afterthought.
“It just made sense. Even in the book, The Testaments, June is operating from the outside. You just don’t see her,” Miller told The Hollywood Reporter. The series expands on what Atwood wrote, bringing June into the action because her story with daughter Hannah (now Agnes) remains unfinished.
Moss also serves as an executive producer on The Testaments, keeping her creative partnership with Miller alive. “She has been with me since the beginning, and I’m very grateful that she’s had time to come along and work in this,” Miller said.
What Critics and Audiences Are Saying
The Testaments has opened to positive reviews. The series holds an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes, actually beating the original Handmaid’s Tale which sits at 83%. Critics praise the shift in perspective, as the new show focuses on the privileged class in Gilead rather than the oppressed handmaids.
Miller described this change as exciting. “It was very exciting to see this other side of Gilead, with all these privileged people. ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ was about those at the very bottom of the social structure. Here are the women who are absolutely at the top. And it’s still somehow unpleasant,” he said.
The show follows Agnes (Chase Infiniti), June’s daughter who was taken as a child, and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a young woman from Toronto who enters Gilead undercover. Ann Dowd returns as Aunt Lydia, now running a preparatory school for future wives.
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Episode Release Schedule for Season 1
The Testaments follows a weekly release pattern. Here is the remaining schedule for Season 1:
- Episode 5: “Ball” – April 22, 2026
- Episode 6 – April 29, 2026
- Episode 7 – May 6, 2026
- Episode 8 – May 13, 2026
- Episode 9 – May 20, 2026
- Episode 10 – May 27, 2026
New episodes arrive on Hulu at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET every Wednesday. For viewers in the UK and other international markets, the show streams on Disney+.
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