Elisabeth Moss: 'Handmaid's Tale' ending will have 'tonal loyalty' to book

Elisabeth Moss discusses the final season of "The Handmaid's Tale" during an interview for "The Veil." File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI
Elisabeth Moss discusses the final season of "The Handmaid's Tale" during an interview for "The Veil." File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI
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LOS ANGELES, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The Handmaid's Tale will begin filming its sixth and final season this summer. Looking ahead, Executive Producer and Star Elisabeth Moss told UPI the finale will be consistent with author Margaret Atwood even if the plot is not exactly how the book ends.

"I think the novel is always a guiding light for us, in tone most especially," Moss told UPI in a Los Angeles interview for her FX show The Veil. "So I do think there will be a tonal loyalty for sure to the book and Margaret's writing in general."

The series began with a faithful portrayal of the dystopian future of Gilead, where June Osborne (Moss) is named Offred by Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes). Commanders forcibly impregnate handmaids like Offred because their wives are infertile.

Over five seasons, The Handmaid's Tale has embellished the plot with new storylines. So literally recreating the ending of the book may not be possible anymore, but Moss said she feels the show always remains true to the spirit of Atwood's book.

"Obviously, we've had to depart because we've had to come up with new stories, but we do try to retain the tone," Moss said.

Elisabeth Moss says the final season of "Handmaid's Tale" will be tonally loyal to Margaret Atwood even if the plot differs. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Elisabeth Moss says the final season of "Handmaid's Tale" will be tonally loyal to Margaret Atwood even if the plot differs. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

UPI will present the full interview with Moss when The Veil premieres April 30.