A new series, The Testaments, is set in the same universe as The Handmaid's Tale, with some outlets suggesting it serves as a spinoff or follow-up. The show appears to explore themes such as girlhood, friendship, and chosen family, with some characters from The Handmaid's Tale returning, including Aunt Lydia. The timing of the series' release has led author Margaret Atwood to comment on the plausibility of the original story's plot in the current social climate, although the accuracy of a report about her sending a cease-and-desist letter to the United States is unclear.