‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 Officially Begins Filming

The sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale has officially begun filming this Tuesday (September 3, 2024) in Toronto, Canada. The production was supposed to begin last year but was postponed due to various strikes. The sixth season will now release in 2025 instead of 2024.

The filming will take around six months and will officially wrap up on February 21, 2025. Seeing the schedule a Summer 2025 premiere for the final season is likely to be on the cards.

The fifth season follows June in the aftermath of Commander Waterford's murder and the ramifications she must face for her involvement in the heinous crime. At the very least, she will have to deal with his widow Serena, as well as, to some extent, Gilead. But, most importantly, she will be compelled to reinvent her identity and purpose, which have been permanently altered.

In the final episode of Season 5, the driver who assaulted June dies as a consequence of Luke's beating, and Rita informs him that the Toronto police will issue an arrest warrant. Luke dismisses it as an overreaction, but June says that they must escape before it is too late, like they did in Boston during Gilead's ascent. They had planned to travel from Toronto to Honolulu via Anchorage, but Tuello arrived to notify them that the police would be waiting for them at the airport. Instead, he provides them fresh travel documents and a seat on a train destined for Vancouver, from whence they may board a ferry to Hawaii. While waiting in line at the train station, the two observe police officers verifying paperwork. Luke stays behind and gets detained when they board the train, realizing June and Nichole will be unable to accompany him to safety. While on the train, June hears another baby scream and discovers Serena and Noah.

The series stars Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne, Joseph Fiennes as Commander Fred Waterford, Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford, Alexis Bledel as Dr. Emily Malek, Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo, Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia Clements, O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole, Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine, Ever Carradine as Naomi Putnam, Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello, Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence, Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue, and Samira Wiley as Moira Strand among others.

The Handmaid’s Tale is produced by MGM Television and executive produced by Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Yahlin Chang, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Eric Tuchman, Rachel Shukert, Steve Stark, Sheila Hockin, John Weber, Frank Siracusa, and Kim Todd.

Based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, a new follow-up to the series from creator Bruce Miller, The Testaments, which picks up years after the events of Season 6, is actively being developed at MGM.