TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The online streaming service Hulu has given the green light for a series adaptation of the acclaimed novel The Handmaid’s Tale, written by former University of Alabama professor Margaret Atwood.
Atwood’s book tells the story of a young handmaid named Offred who lives in a dystopian version of the United States. In the protagonist’s world, the Constitution has been suspended, women have no rights, and she has been subjugated to the reproductive caste. The adaptation will star Elizabeth Moss of Mad Men fame as Offred and will consist of ten episodes. Atwood is on board as a consulting producer.
The Canadian writer spent some time in the state, where she was the Masters of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Honorary Chair at the University of Alabama in 1985. Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale in West Berlin, Germany and finished it in Alabama during the mid-1980s. Published in 1986, the novel quickly became a best-seller.
Atwood is excited about the show and has given a “thumbs up” to the scripts she has seen. “I have read the first two scripts and they are excellent,” the former UA English professor wrote in a statement. “I can hardly wait to see the finished episodes.”
The Handmaid’s Tale won the prestigious Arthur C. Clark Award for Science Fiction novels in 1987. The series will debut on all of Hulu’s platforms at a time to-be-determined in 2017.
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