Margaret Atwood reflects on The Handmaid’s Tale’s successful adaptation

Margaret Atwood has recently discussed the success in adapting the 1985 dystopian classic novel The Handmaid’s Tale as a Hulu series.

The novelist was being honoured with the ICON Award for her works at the second annual Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada Gala at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto on May 29.

After picking the award, Atwood talked about her movie adaptation of the novel which she believed was risky at the time.

“It was a gamble. And the gamble paid off,” said the 85-year-old.

The author opened up that anyone “approaching” her earlier who said they wanted to make a movie about The Handmaid’s Tale, she would have said, ‘Who’s going to watch that?’” 

However, Atwood noted that when the adaptation came out, “a certain number of people felt it was illuminating because, surely, the United States would never, ever do such things”.

The author and poet added that the novel has finally reached the climax for its sixth and final season.

It is pertinent to mention that Atwood was among a host of Canadian leading ladies celebrated at THR’s second annual WIE Canada event.

Meanwhile, the event was reportedly attended by top producers, actors, musicians and executives like Orphan Black breakout Humberly González, Toronto Film Fest chief programmer Anita Lee, AEG Presents exec Debra Rathwell and Cinespace Studios exec Magali Simard.