'The Handmaid's Tale' trailer takes us to a bleak post-America future
Hulu's adaptation of the Margaret Atwood novel premieres April 26th.
Hulu has been teasing its adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale for months now, giving us a peak into a dystopian future Margaret Atwood first imagined in 1985. While those previews definitely gave us a look at the show's visual style, they didn't offer many clues about the plot for anyone who might have missed the novel the first time around. Today, Hulu dropped its first full-length trailer for the series, which debuts next month.
In a voiceover, our protagonist Offred (played by Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss) sets the scene, which suddenly feels more timely than ever: "When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the constitution, we didn't wake up then either." Through a series of flashbacks, we get a glimpse into Offred's reality, where her life is torn apart as the United States is dismantled and replaced by the cruel theocratic Republic of Gilead and the few remaining fertile women are treated as government property. Offred's role as surrogate mother for the women of the ruling class obviously plays a very visceral part here, but its her past that hints at her motivations for survival.
We also get a better look at Samira Wiley (of Orange is the New Black) as Offred's friend Moira and a powerfully creepy Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford. The show will span 10 episodes, but since Hulu doesn't like to release their series in one binge-friendly dump, they'll be trickling out week by week, starting Wednesday, April 26th.
