Why Is The Handmaid’s Tale Ending? Spin-off & Future Explained

With the arrival of The Handmaid’s Tale‘s sixth and final season, fans are wondering why the sci-fi fantasy drama is ending with the newest installment. They are also wondering whether the franchise will continue in the future with spin-offs. The Handmaid’s Tale, created by Bruce Miller, originally premiered in 2017. The series’ cast includes Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, and Max Minghella.

So, why is The Handmaid’s Tale ending its story with Season 6? Will there be a spin-off of The Handmaid’s Tale in the future? Here is all you need to know.

Why is The Handmaid’s Tale ending after Season 6?

The Handmaid’s Tale is ending after Season 6 as Hulu and the creator decided to conclude its story with it.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, series creator Bruce Miller mentioned that he had been thinking about The Handmaid’s Tale’s end “since the beginning,” ever since he read Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name.

Miller mentioned in a previous interview with THR, at the time of the fourth season’s release, that he had “a beginning, a middle, and an end” in mind but that he found more intriguing paths to develop the series’ story.

In March 2023, THR reported that Miller had stepped down from day-to-day showrunning duties, which he handed over to writers and producers Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang.

Will The Handmaid’s Tale continue with a spin-off?

Yes, The Handmaid’s Tale franchise will continue with a spin-off, The Testaments. The series’ development was announced in September 2019, following the third season’s release.

The Testaments commenced production on April 7. The production start date was confirmed several days ago by Hulu on social media. Ann Dowd, who plays Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale, will reprise her role in the new series. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Moss, who portrayed June Osbourne, will serve as an executive producer.