Imagine a world where women have no rights. A world where women can’t vote, have jobs, have money, or even read. Where women are essentially objects to be owned by men. Well, you can stop imagining because that world – aka The Handmaid’s Tale – has just released its first trailer.
Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale, is the story of a dystopian America that’s been taken over by a religious dictatorship. Within this new America, named the Republic of Gilead, women have basically no rights and are categorised into groups based on their social function.
The Handmaid’s Tale protagonist, Offred, is a “handmaid”, a fertile woman whose purpose is to bear children to high ranking officials since pollution and STIs have caused mass infertility. In the series Offred is played by Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men, The West Wing), who we hear at the start of the trailer eerily stating,
“I was asleep before. That’s how we let it happen. When they slaughtered Congress, we didn’t wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the Constitution, we didn’t wake up then either. Now I’m awake.”
Apart from reminding us how easy it is to take away someone’s freedom (*cough* Trump *cough*), the trailer also features ace ladies Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls) and Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black). According to a Reddit AMA, author Margaret Atwood already appears to be a fan of the series, saying “Based on what I’ve seen, it’s a 10,” and “My criteria: puddle of goo on the floor [by the] end of episode three. It goes farther than I did in the book…”.
And this is a book where women are forcibly impregnated and sterilised. Get your first look at the series below.
The Handmaid’s Tale will premier in the US April 26.