Contains spoilers for The Handmaid’s Tale season 1
2017's TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale was met with rave reviews after airing on Hulu and Channel 4, depicting systematic abuse and repression in the dystopian US state of Gilead.
Fans of the show will be pleased to hear a second season is officially happening – and it will be shown on Channel 4 again.
Jay Hunt, the channel's former Chief Creative Officer, said last year: 'The Handmaid's Tale has been a stand out success for Channel 4. I'm delighted that audiences are also going to be able to enjoy its dark and thought provoking second season.'
So here’s what we know about it so far.
The Handmaid’s Tale season 2: What’s going to happen?
Good news! The series will be even longer this time.
The first season had a run of ten episodes, whereas season two will be extended to 13.
The next instalment of episodes will move further than the text of Margaret Atwood’s original novel, which was the source material for series one.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Atwood, who acted as a supervising producer on season one, said:
‘I think it will be more involving in the second season because we will be in uncharted territories so more invention will have to take place.
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Speaking about the chance to expand on Atwood’s original plot lines, Elisabeth Moss, who plays lead character Offred in the series said:
[‘There’s] so much text that we haven’t gotten a chance to even say.’
‘And there’s all these other pockets, all these other worlds that we haven’t yet gotten to really explore.’
Moss has also revealed the next series will be even darker than the first. (How is that even possible?)
‘Season two is going to be bad too, really dark – it's going to get worse,’ she told The Pool.
In line with life in Gilead getting darker, Offred and the other members of the resistance are going to become even more gutsy.
‘Season 2 is what happens after you become a little rebellious,’ showrunner Bruce Miller told Entertianment Weekly.
Elisabeth has has hinted at what episode one will entail, after reading the script for it.
'It's insane! I can say this: There is literally no way that anyone can guess what happens,' she told Entertainment Weekly.
'We're really looking to blow people away, and we have every intention to break [the story] open and go even further in all directions.'
Moss told Popsugar: 'It's so much about the breaking points of people. How much is too much? What can we not ever come back from? And, if we do come back from it, will we ever be the same?'
If you're a fan of those catchy closing songs at the end of each episode (e.g Don't You Forget About Me), you'll be pleased to know they'll feature in season two.
'There will absolutely be more music cues like that in season two. It's a great way of reminding the audience that the show takes place in the present,' Moss told Popsugar.
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The Handmaid’s Tale season 2: Who will be in it?
Elisabeth Moss will of course be back as Offred (real name June.)
It’s also been confirmed Alexis Bedel will be back as a series regular in the role of Ofglen/ Ofsteven/ Emily, despite really going through the ringer in season one.
Also set to return are series regulars inluding Gilead-escapee Moira (Samira Wiley) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd).
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As well as these familiar faces, we’ll be meeting Offred’s mother.
Bruce Miller has confirmed Offred's mum – who is mentioned frequently in Atwood’s novel - will be making an appearance in the forthcoming season.
‘We’ve been thinking about her a lot,’ he told the Hollywood Reporter.
‘It's a story we want to tell — she was one of the most memorable characters.’
The Handmaid’s Tale season 2: When’s it going to air?
The season will air on Wednesday 2nd May in America - it's not yet known when it will follow suit in the UK on Channel 4 but it will be later this year.
In the meantime here's a trailer:
The Handmaid's Tale airs on Hulu in the US and Channel 4 in the UK.
(Images: Hulu)
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