The story continues in Gilead, and this time, it's being told by a younger generation.
"The Testaments," a new Hulu series based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood and set 15 years after the events of "The Handmaid's Tale," focuses on a group of teens who have grown up in the fictional dystopian society of Gilead as they navigate Aunt Lydia's elite preparatory school for future wives.
"You'll see how things change over time," Ann Dowd, who reprises her role as Aunt Lydia in "The Testaments," told ABC News. "What happens to these girls in this journey, this coming-of-age story? I think you're going to find an entirely different experience than you did with 'The Handmaid's Tale.'"
Read on for more details about "The Testaments."
Joining Dowd in the new series are Chase Infiniti as Agnes (previously known as Hannah in "The Handmaid's Tale"), Lucy Halliday as Daisy, Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite, Mattea Conforti as Becka and Brad Alexander as Garth.
The show also stars Eva Foote, Mabel Li, Kira Guloien, Zarrin Darnell-Martin and more.
"They're wonderful actors," Dowd said about her young co-stars. "They're very, very well-prepared. They know how to listen … they're kind to the old aunt here."
Infiniti began production on "The Testaments" after working on director Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another," crediting the Oscar-winning film with sharpening her experience in ensemble work.
"I feel very grateful that I get to work with another ensemble, let alone a group of girls who are around my age," she told "Good Morning America" at the premiere of "The Testaments" in Los Angeles on March 31. "I felt so grateful to have been a part of that, because we poured so much love into each other -- we poured so much love into the story."
While coming into a franchise that already has a large fanbase could seem daunting, Halliday said she and the cast were given the freedom to "shape the characters."
"We were, as Chase said, very fortunate to have so many people who were so open with us and forthcoming and gave us a space to kind of create the characters that we saw fit," Halliday said. "And to not feel too burdened by the responsibility of stepping into a world that already existed and was so beloved."
Alexander said that having several "Handmaid's Tale" vets return to "The Testaments" -- including showrunner Bruce Miller and executive producer and original series star Elisabeth Moss -- allowed them "to draw from and understand the world" of Gilead, calling them "incredible authorities" on the matter.
Moss, who starred as June Osborne in all five seasons of "The Handmaid's Tale" before the series wrapped last year, does appear in the new show.
Infiniti called Moss "an encyclopedia of knowledge of the world of 'The Handmaid's Tale.'"
"She loves this project so much and poured so much into it," Infiniti said, adding that Moss extended her hand to the cast to let them know that if they needed anything, she was there for them.
"Just having that support on top of that was the best gift that I think any of us could have even asked for," she said.
Miller said Moss "was our partner from the very beginning," calling her "the creative heart and soul of the show."
"I think it would have been very strange to go on without her," Miller added.
Since its release, "The Handmaid's Tale" has become a global symbol of resistance, with some adopting the handmaid outfit at protests and other civil demonstrations.
As attention shifts to "The Testaments," cast members say they're mindful of that legacy and are hopeful that the next chapter resonates in a similar way.
"There's shocking scenes in this, and they are harsh, and you will be taken aback, but I hope people are shocked," Halliday said. "I hope no one sees this and is desensitized."
Infiniti expressed hope that viewers might "go forward and use their voice and advocate through their communities and communities that they're a part of" after watching "The Testaments.
"I think that would be something that we would love for people to take away [from] it," she said.
The first three episodes of "The Testaments" are available to stream now on Hulu. New episodes will arrive every Wednesday through May 27.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News, Disney+ and Hulu.
