Hulu releases a trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale season 3. Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, the dystopian drama series examines a futuristic post-civil war society in which fertile women become slaves. The Handmaid’s Tale season 3 was ordered in May 2018, and season 2 concluded the following July.
Created by Bruce Miller, The Handmaid’s Tale stars Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne aka Offred. The series examines the inherent conflict between powerful figures and the captured women who are forced to bear children. Yvonne Strahovski and Alexis Bledel have supporting roles in The Handmaid’s Tale, and Madeline Brewer co-starred in the first two seasons. For The Handmaid’s Tale season 1, cinematographer-turned-director Reed Morano helmed the first three episodes, which resulted in a Primetime Emmy Award win for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. For The Handmaid’s Tale season 2, British filmmaker Mike Barker directed the bookend chapters, along with three other episodes.
On YouTube, Hulu released a politically themed trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale season 3, which comes with the tagline “Blessed be the fight.” This time around, Moss’ Offred moves forward with a revolution, and the clip begins with a Game of Thrones-style visual in which the main character plots her next move over a table. Offred’s voiceover narration underlines the trailer’s central themes, as she muses about the secretive nature of a resistance a la David Fincher’s Fight Club. Forty seconds into The Handmaid’s Tale season 3 trailer, the music kicks in while the visuals tease a possible alliance between Offred and Strahovski’s Serena Joy Waterford. In the second half, the plan seems to be going well for Moss’ character, with the visuals framing her like a true revolutionary figure, especially when she states: “Now Mom’s got work.” Check out The Handmaid’s Tale season 3 trailer below.
In pop culture, Moss is well known for portraying Peggy Olson on AMC’s Mad Men, though she’s balanced a career between feature films and television since the early ‘90s. Most recently, Moss had a supporting role in Jordan Peele’s mega-hit Us, thus elevating her mainstream visibility, though she’s known by many indie fans for her collaborations with filmmaker Alex Ross Perry. Critics have been raving about Moss’ performance in Perry’s new film Her Smell, in which she portrays a punk rock singer with more than a few issues to overcome.
While The Handmaid’s Tale may indeed be quite violent, it’s fueled by powerhouse performances and a strong sense of visual style. The new trailer features multiple striking shots, many of which hint at underlying themes to come in the new episodes. The first two episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale season 3 will once again be directed by Barker, and the trailer teases an explosive storyline full of revolution, deception, and cryptic endgame strategy.
The Handmaid's Tale season 3 premieres Wednesday June 5 on Hulu.
Sources: Hulu