PASADENA, California 鈥� The wrenching loss of an infant to a totalitarian society is explored in Season 2 of The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale, star Elisabeth Moss and the show鈥檚 producers said.
The drama series based on Margaret Atwood鈥檚 dystopian novel begins with Moss鈥檚 character on the run when it returns April 25 on streaming service Hulu (Bravo in sa国际传媒). Offred, also known as June, is a pregnant 鈥渉andmaid,鈥� one of those used to breed children in a futuristic society where many women are infertile.
Moss said she and series creator-executive producer Bruce Miller often discussed 鈥渢his child growing inside her as a bit of a ticking time bomb,鈥� one destined to be born in tragic circumstances.
鈥淲hen she does have the baby, the baby gets taken away from her. She can鈥檛 be its mother,鈥� Moss told TV critics last weekend. 鈥淚t makes for good drama.鈥�
Season 2 also visits the colonies that are mentioned in Atwood鈥檚 1985 book, but not depicted, executive producer Warren Littlefield said. A bigger production budget helped the series venture afield.
MGM Television and Hulu 鈥渆mbraced that we were ambitious. We鈥檙e still in a world of television, it鈥檚 a pretty controlled budget,鈥� Littlefield said. He didn鈥檛 offer specific figures.
Broadening the story doesn鈥檛 mean the series will desert its source material, Miller said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anything we do is post-Atwood,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an expansion of that world. I certainly don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e going beyond the story that she was telling. She remains the mother of the series.鈥�
The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale is a landmark program for relatively new Hulu, drawing critical acclaim, an armload of 2017 Emmys and, this month, a best series Golden Globe and best-actress trophy for Moss. Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei guest stars in episode two, the producers said.
They were effusive with praise for Moss when asked why the former Mad Men star was right for the role of Offred.
She鈥檚 talented, professional, has an 鈥渁mazing work ethic鈥� and an extraordinary relationship with the camera, the producers said.
