The world of The Handmaid’s Tale is set to grow with the sequel series The Testaments. While the show is still to be greenlit by Hulu, casting is well underway. Not only do we have our three leads, but Deadline has reported that two of the supporting roles have been cast, and they are roles that we’ve been waiting for.
This is a story that follows three main characters, and all their stories interconnect as they all end up in the same place in Gilead. That means they come across other people in Gilead, and the girls are being raised to be Wives of the State.
Something to keep in mind when watching The Testaments is that, if it follows the timeline of the book, these girls don’t know the world before Gilead. They were too young when Gilead was formed to retain memories of the life before. This is something The Handmaid’s Tale has tried to remind us through Hannah accepting everything that Gilead is and being scared of June. The Testaments is set to continue that reminder.
Rowan Blanchard will play a girl in need of protection
Many will best known Rowan Blanchard as Alex from Snowpiercer. In that series, she found herself struggling with her loyalty to Mr. Wilford after he saved her from the big freeze. Deadline reports that in The Testaments, she’ll take on the role of Shunammite, a young girl who believes everything that the world of Gilead tells her.
She’s a bully and one of the “popular” girls, and she’s not afraid to share other people’s secrets if it means that she gets to rise up the ladder of Wives. However, being at the top isn’t always that great, and in the end, Shunammite becomes a girl who needs protection. Will there be anyone there when she needs them?
Mattea Conforti comes in as a girl who doesn’t want to be a Wife
Deadline also reports that Mattea Conforti will take on the role of Becka, a girl who we don’t initially know how to take. She appears to be a traditional girl of Gilead, but as she realizes what it means to be a Wife, she realizes that it’s not the world that she wants to live in. How far is she willing to go to prevent the life that is being forced on her, and will anyone be there to protect her?
Becka’s role in the book is one of those that shows that there’s still an element of choice in the world of Gilead. However, the choices are heavily limited, and it continues that dark aspect of an effectively communist state.
You’ll recognize Conforti’s voice as Young Elsa in Frozen II. You’ll also know her as Young Janice Soprano in The Many Saints if Newark.
The Testaments is still waiting to be greenlit by Hulu. The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 premieres on Tuesday, April 8 on Hulu.