Hulu is preparing to launch its new continuation of the dystopian saga "The Testaments" beginning April 8, with viewers receiving access to three installments immediately and additional episodes rolling out weekly until the season concludes on May 27.

Based on Margaret Atwood's award-winning 2019 novel, this 10-episode first season transports audiences back to the oppressive nation of Gilead, roughly four to five years past where the original "The Handmaid's Tale" series ended. The story centers on a fresh cast of young female characters attempting to survive and escape the restrictive society that controls their futures.

Ann Dowd returns in her celebrated role as the formidable Aunt Lydia, alongside Chase Infiniti portraying Agnes, a character audiences previously knew as Hannah from the original show. Agnes happens to be the biological daughter of June Osborne, the central character from "The Handmaid's Tale," played by Elisabeth Moss. Lucy Halliday takes on the part of Daisy, a teenager from Canada whose world transforms when she becomes entangled with Gilead's dark secrets, according to Variety.

The supporting cast features Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite, a girl born into power within Gilead's ruling class, as well as Mattea Conforti, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, and Birva Pandya. Amy Seimetz portrays Paula, Agnes's stepmother, with Brad Alexander taking on the role of Garth, a young man in a position of authority.

Bruce Miller, the creative force behind "The Handmaid's Tale," continues as both showrunner and executive producer for this new installment. Emmy-nominated director Mike Barker, recognized for his work on the original series, will helm the opening three episodes in addition to executive producing.

The narrative explores the experiences of adolescent girls attending an exclusive institution where Aunt Lydia teaches them strict codes of behavior justified through religious doctrine. For these characters, Gilead represents their entire universe, with no recollection of life outside the system. Trapped by an arrangement that would bind them to husbands and domestic servitude, they must seek out allies willing to help them escape, TVLine reported.

Though Moss is attached as an executive producer for the series, whether she will appear in any scenes as her original character remains undisclosed. The source material hints at a limited appearance near the novel's conclusion.

The show will be accessible through Hulu and through Disney+ for those with bundle memberships in North America, with global audiences accessing it via Disney+. Production took place in Toronto.

Atwood's original novel arrived in bookstores during the fall of 2019 and received the prestigious Booker Prize, sharing the honor with another celebrated work. Positioned as a sequel occurring 15 years into Gilead's future relative to the first book, the narrative unfolds from multiple character viewpoints: Aunt Lydia, Agnes, and Daisy, as per Britannica.

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The Handmaid's Tale, Hulu, Sequel, Series