Image: Hulu
Some big licensing news: We’re seeing the series coming to territories across Europe, including Italy, France, the Netherlands, and the Nordic region (Norway, Denmark, and Sweden). Additionally, we are also seeing it coming to Latin American regions like Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina starting on May 5th or 6th, depending on where you live.
We didn’t find it currently on Netflix in English-speaking regions like Australia, the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom, where shows already have streaming homes for the most part.
Longtime readers of the site will know that we’ve been tracking the streaming status of this blockbuster series for years. In fact, the last time we covered the series, it wasn’t available on Netflix anywhere in the world. Now, the doors are finally opening to international customers.
What is The Handmaid’s Tale about?
For those unfamiliar, The Handmaid’s Tale is the multi-Emmy-winning dystopian drama based on Margaret Atwood’s acclaimed 1985 novel.
Set in the totalitarian, theocratic regime of Gilead (formerly the United States), the series follows June Osborn. Following the Second American Civil War and the global infertility crisis, June is captured and forced to live as a “handmaid” – a class of fertile women forced into servitude producing children for the social elite. The show is a harrowing, tension-filled masterclass of television that tracks June’s desperate fight to survive, rebel against the system, and reunite with the daughter who was taken from her.
The series is led by Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men, The Invisible Man), who delivers a career-defining performance as June. Along with Moss, the show features a strong cast, including:
- Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck, right) as Serena Joy Waterford
- Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) as Commander Fred Waterford
- Ann Dowd (the leftovers) as Terrible Aunt Lydia
- ot fagbenle (black mother) as Luke Bankole
- Samira Wiley (Netflix 15-20) as Moira Strand
- max minghella (social network) as Nick Blaine
- bradley whitford (Netflix Diplomat, West Wing) as Commander Joseph Lawrence
Throughout its run, the show has been an absolute juggernaut, virtually defining Hulu’s original programming slate in the US and sweeping the Emmys during its first season.
Could The Handmaid’s Tale ever come to Netflix in the US?
While the United States is missing out on May 6 this fall, there is actually a ray of hope for American Netflix subscribers.
Whereas maid story While it is extensively branded as a “Hulu Original” in the state, Hulu does not actually own the series. The show is produced and distributed by MGM Television (which now operates under the Amazon umbrella).
Recently, we’ve seen MGM Television license a large number of its library titles to Netflix in the US – including former exclusive hits and legacy properties like Stargate SG-1, the James Bond movies, and more. The Man in the High Castleto name a few. Because MGM ultimately holds the keys to the underlying rights, once Hulu’s exclusivity window inevitably ends, there’s a very real possibility that Amazon/MGM will license maid story For Netflix US. It won’t happen this month, but it’s a trend we’re watching closely.
Will you be watching The Handmaid’s Tale when it comes to Netflix in your region this May? Let us know in the comments below.
