The Handmaid’s Tale showrunner Bruce Miller steps down before season 6 in order to focus on developing the sequel series, titled The Testaments.
The Handmaid’s Tale showrunner Bruce Miller steps down from the show for a very good reason. Adapted from Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale follows Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne, a woman escaping a totalitarian and theocratic state known as the Gilead that forces fertile women (called “Handmaids”) into child-bearing slavery. Since debuting on Hulu in 2017, Miller has steered the series to five seasons of success and critical acclaim as showrunner from the very beginning.
Now, with The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 in the works, Miller is officially stepping down as showrunner. Per The Hollywood Reporter, he will hand day-to-day operations off to longtime writers and executive producers Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang, who will act as co-showrunners for the sixth and final season. Miller is stepping down to focus on developing the sequel series, The Testaments, which was originally announced in late 2019.
The Handmaid’s Tale Showrunner Is Stepping Down For Good Reason
While news of the longtime Handmaid’s Tale showrunner stepping down may cause trepidation for some viewers, he has placed the final season in the capable hands of Tuchman and Chang, who have each written episodes of the Emmy Award-winning show. Miller will also remain heavily involved in The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 and write two episodes for the final season. Those episodes will likely be the season 6 premiere and the series finale, as the former showrunner has written every season premiere and finale for the past five seasons.
Miller is also stepping down for a very valid reason – to focus on developing The Testaments. The series is based on Atwood’s 2019 novel, which takes place 15 years after The Handmaid’s Tale and features three already-established characters – Aunt Lydia (played by Ann Dowd), Agnes, and Daisy. Miller, who is a passionate fan of Atwood’s source material, says the sequel series is technically a continuation, though it’s more accurately described as a “separate chapter.” By stepping down as The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 showrunner, Miller will be able to focus more on making The Testaments the best it can be.
