Hulu is going straight-to-series with The Handmaid’s Tale, a drama from MGM Television based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood. The series will debut in 2017 and will be created, executive produced and written by Bruce Miller, with Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears and Warren Littlefield on board as executive producers.
Atwood will hold the title of consulting producer.
Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men plays the handmaid Offred. The book is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States.
“Hulu has established itself as a home for blockbuster television events and what better way to expand our originals offering than with a series based on this acclaimed, best-selling novel,” said Craig Erwich, senior VP, head of content, Hulu. “Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale was seen as ahead of its time and we look forward to bringing it to life on our platform.”
The project represents the first original partnership between Hulu and MGM Television.
“The Handmaid’s Tale is a project that we have been committed to bringing to life, as its story remains as powerful today as it did when Margaret first published her novel,” said Mark Burnett, president, television and digital group, MGM and Steve Stark, president, television development and production, MGM. “Handmaid’s Tale has won multiple awards, inspiring a film, a graphic novel, an opera, a ballet and finally, for the first time, a compellingly immersive drama series that has found the perfect home at Hulu and its star in Elisabeth Moss.”
