I was asleep before, that’s how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn’t wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the Constitution, we didn’t wake up then either. Now I’m awake.
Hulu has released an unsettling new trailer for the upcoming original series based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian classic novel of the same name, and for some Americans, it’s hitting a little too close to home.
The first trailer for the series was released back in January, but this new trailer provides extra context for those who are unfamiliar with the book.
The series follows those living in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. The country now faces environmental disasters and a plunging birth rate with Gilead ruled by a twisted fundamentalism in its militarized ‘return to traditional values’. Offred (Elisabeth Moss) is one of the few remaining fertile women and she is forced to become a Handmaid in the Commander’s household. The Handmaids are forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate the world.
In this terrifying society, Offred must navigate between Commanders, their cruel Wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids– where anyone could be a spy for Gilead–all with one goal: to survive and find the daughter that was taken from her.
If you’re thinking about reading the book prior to watching the upcoming series, you don’t have to. The author, Margaret Atwood, freaked out while watching Hulu’s interpretation, but she still enjoyed watching the series.
“Based on what I’ve seen, it’s a 10,” she said in a Reddit AMA. “My criteria: puddle of goo on the floor [by the] end of episode three. It goes farther than I did in the book…”.
Starring Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black), Joseph Fiennes (American Horror Story) and Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck).
The Handmaid’s Tale premieres April 26th on Hulu.
Will you be watching The Handmaid’s Tale? Let us know in the comments below!
