Why is The Handmaid's Tale not getting a Season 7? Details revealed

The Handmaid's Tale has finally reached the final chapter of its story after 10 years. The Hulu show, which started off as an adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, slowly transformed into an expansive story that dealt with important themes like resistance, loss, and change.

With this end in mind, fans of the show might be wondering: Why is The Handmaid's Tale not getting a Season 7?

The answer here lies in creative intentions and the future plans of showrunners.

Read below to find out more:

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Creative closure: The team always envisioned six seasons for The Handmaid’s Tale

From the very beginning, the direction and path for The Handmaid's Tale was mapped with a precise purpose. Regardless of early discussions about potentially extending the show or cutting down the final season into a two part story, the creators of the show ultimately chose to end the story with Season 6.

This decision wasn't a result of fading popularity or network decisions - it was an end carefully crafted by the creative team.

Bruce Miller, the creator of the show and the former showrunner, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the story's framework was initially pitched with 5 Seasons in mind, which eventually went on to have a sixth season.

The co-show-runner, Yahlin Chang added;

"We were doing a little retreat before the beginning of the season five writers room, and we were talking with Bruce and Bruce was like, ‘I think we have two more seasons.’ He was like, ‘I think we should do two more.’ And we’re like, ‘Okay, let’s do it. We’ll do two more'."

The Handmaid's Tale has, throughout its 6 Seasons, pushed its characters - June, Serena, Aunt Lydia, and others into uncharted emotional and political territories.

With June leading the majority of the resistance, including the assassination of the powerful Gilead commanders, the sixth season offers a sense of finality. Rather than pushing the show any further, the team actively wanted to avoid repetition and make sure that the ending remained faithful to the show's initial intention.

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The future lies in The Testaments, not The Handmaid's Tale Season 7

While The Handmaid's Tale comes to an end, the world of Gilead will continue to remain in The Testaments, Hulu's next series based on Margaret Atwood's sequel. The story, set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, shifts focus to younger characters raised within the regime.

Ann Dowd will be returning as Aunt Lydia, joined by Chase Infiniti as Hannah, June's daughter, and Lucy Halliday as Daisy.

Bruce Miller stepped away from his show-runner role on the show to focus fully on The Testaments, emphasizing a new tone and perspective.

“We tried not to make the same show — it’s got younger voices, it’s got a completely different feel and a completely different vibe but it’s still Gilead, so I hope that the continuing threads continue to interest people while the new stuff is exciting.”

The groundwork for The Testaments has already been laid in Season 6. Aunt Lydia's arc, once unthinkably loyal to Gilead, now reflects disillusionment and rebellion. In a bold moment from the final season, she denounces the regime's leaders as:

"wicked, Godless men..."

This only foreshadows her future role in dismantling the system from within, and the evolution sets up a natural handoff from The Handmaid's Tale to its next chapter.

Filming for The Testaments began in April 2025, with a projected release in 2026.

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While The Handmaid's Tale won't have a Season 7, its ending is a conscious choice. The creators opted to close June's story meaningfully while opting to shift to a new route in The Testaments.

Even though it's goodbye for now, the legacy of the show carries on in Hulu's next big show and we can't wait to see of what's yet to come!

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