The global health crisis has had far-reaching ramifications on the film and TV industries, as productions across Hollywood were forced to halt work months ago. Now, TV series and films are starting to ramp up again, but many major projects will now have delayed release dates as a result of the changes. Well, now you can add The Handmaid’s Tale to that list, as fans are going to have to wait a bit longer for it to return to Hulu.
Originally set to premiere later this year, The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 is now slated to air on Hulu sometime in 2021. The news came during Hulu’s Newsfronts presentation (via Adweek), which also featured an appearance from the show’s star Emmy-winning star, Elisabeth Moss.
Unfortunately for fans, the fourth season of The Handmaid’s Tale will still have quite a bit of work to do when work restarts. The hit drama was only a few weeks into its shoot when the cameras stopped rolling.
Elisabeth Moss, who is expected to make her directorial debut in Season 4, recently admitted that she’s not sure exactly when production is expected to resume. She did mention, however, that the producers are looking for safe ways to continue and also expressed her concerns for the crew members who are currently going without pay.
With this development, one also might have to consider how Hulu’s next project in the world of The Handmaid’s Tale will be affected. The streamer is currently working to adapt the upcoming sequel novel, The Testaments, for the small screen. With that project still in its early stages, there’s a chance it won’t be affected much, but it’s still possible that the parent show’s altered production situation could delay the spinoff’s development schedule.
This news will surely come as a disappointment to devoted viewers, but there may be a silver lining to be found. Many fans were unsatisfied with how Season 3 panned out, and showrunner Bruce Miller is well aware of this fact. It’s very likely that Season 4 has already been written in its entirety, but the extra time may still give the writing staff some time to refine their ideas to ensure for an entertaining story.
All in all, news of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 being delayed doesn’t come as much of a surprise given what’s been going on, but it’s certainly a major blow for one of Hulu’s flagship programs. It remains to be seen when and how the series will resume production, but you can bet the streamer is hoping to get things back up and running sooner rather than later.
While you wait for Season 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale to arrive, you can catch up on previous seasons by streaming them on Hulu.
