The Handmaid's Tale's Bradley Whitford drops devastating season 6 filming update
Bradley Whitford disappointed fans after revealing season six of The Handmaid's Tale is yet to start filming.
The Handmaid's Tale season five trailer from Hulu
Hulu’s critically acclaimed dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale has had fans gripped from the moment it debuted in 2017 and now the upcoming sixth season is set to be its last. Star Bradley Whitford who plays Commander Lawrence revealed filming will commence later this year in August.
The actor spoke with ET ahead of The Handmaid’s Tale final series release and shed some light on what fans can expect.
Production for the drama’s previous seasons normally starts filming at the beginning of the year, so when the actor was asked about season six production the actor revealed it had actually been delayed.
Whitford said: “No. In fact, I just heard we're not going back until August. I don't know what the logistical reason for that is.
"As you know, there's a lot of labour issues that need to be solved in Hollywood. But yeah, we're gonna be going back for one more season. And that'll be it.”
Despite the disappointing production update, fans can look forward to seeing the return of Whitford’s character, Commander Lawrence.
The actor revealed he has “a lot of hopes” for the commander in the concluding season.
He explained: “Wow, you know, I have a lot of hopes for him. Dramatically, I don't think, look, I'm not writing it, but I think that the basic sort of arc of this guy, for me, was somebody who was seduced by power.
"And through his relationship with June [Elisabeth Moss], June reignited a little flicker of humanity in this guy.”
In the finale of season five, June and Luke (O-T Fagbenle) decided they needed to escape the country as soon as possible.
But things quickly took a turn for the worst as Luke attacked a truck driver who tried to hurt June.
The driver's injuries were fatal and the Canadian authorities arrested Luke, leaving June to fend for herself and escape with her daughter Nichole on her own.
On her train out of the country, she found out that Serena was on the same train. Given the pair have been at loggerheads all season, this could prove to be an interesting plot for when the show returns.
The break between season four and season five was around one year, meaning if filming does begin in August fans can expect the production team are following the same time schedule for the upcoming season.
Back when season six was announced producer Bruce Miller said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter he doesn’t expect there to be a big time jump when the show returns.
He explained: "We don’t tend to jump very much in time," he said. "And it’s simply because my brain doesn’t work that way. I’m like, 'What happens next?'."
Speaking with Elle the lead star Moss also hinted the upcoming instalment will be the biggest season yet
No official plot points for The Handmaid's Tale final season have been confirmed yet, but the cliffhanger in the season five finale left fans with some big questions to answer.
Although the next season of The Handmaid's Tale will be its last, fans can look forward to its sequel called The Testaments.
The sequel is set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale and follows on from some of the prominent characters' storylines.
The Handmaid’s Tale is streaming on Hulu in the US.