Created for television by Bruce Miller, the highly acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale has returned for a second season, shaped by Offred’s (Elisabeth Moss, in a truly remarkable performance) pregnancy and her ongoing fight to break free from the dystopian horrors of Gilead. While Offred, who was born as June, is haunted by memories from her past as she tries to figure out what’s next, the audience will get to learn more about life outside of Gilead and what it takes to survive in this terrifying world.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, executive producer Warren Littlefield talked about how satisfying it’s been to have a hand in bringing this world created by Margaret Atwood (the author of the novel) to life, why scaring themselves with expectations is important, what it’s been like to work with series lead Elisabeth Moss (who is also one of the show’s producers), watching the rising success of Season 1 director Reed Morano, what he enjoys about the collaborative relationship with the showrunners that he works with (Bruce Miller for The Handmaid’s Tale and Noah Hawley for Fargo), and what it took to shoot the shocking opening sequence for Season 2. Be aware that there are some spoilers discussed.

the-handmaids-tale-season-2-poster
Image via Hulu

Collider: I am definitely a big fan of the work you put out there, so I appreciate you talking to me!

WARREN LITTLEFIELD: Thank you! Hearing feedback, especially when it’s good, feels wonderful. I don’t get tired of that.

You’re welcome! As a producer, when you have such a successful first season with a series, as you did with The Handmaid’s Tale, what do you get most excited about and what do you get most nervous about, when it comes to then having to do a second season? 

LITTLEFIELD: Well, we like that we scare ourselves. I think that’s a really important aspect. First we say, “Okay, we’re the ones who did this, so now we have to do it again.” We did this. That’s the balm that we rub on ourselves. Then we go, “So, what are we going to do, that’s very much the vitamins and minerals of things that we think we did well, in year one? Now where are we going?” What you don’t want to do is, you don’t want to have the audience feel like, “I’ve already been here,” or “I’ve seen that story.” We got pretty ambitious for year two. We opened up the world of the Colonies, which Margaret [Atwood] wrote about and which was a powerful off-screen presence in her narrative. We said, “We’re ready to see what happens to young women. We’re ready to see where they go.” It was critical that we deliver on that, in a significant way. One part of that is Marisa Tomei being in that world. Also, for June, what does freedom look like? Gilead is always in you. Even if June has some freedom, a place like Gilead, you don’t get away from. Those were all things that we said. It’s definitely based upon what we accomplished in year one, but we added a lot of dimension to year two.

What has it meant to you to be a part of and have a hand in bringing this world that Margaret Atwood created to life?

LITTLEFIELD: It’s been wildly satisfying. It’s the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done, in my career, and I’ve had some pretty good highlights. We feel we’re aware of how relevant we are, in today’s world. We often say that we wish we were less relevant. We’re living in a pre-Gilead world, I think. Our storytelling and our journey in this world, that Margaret created on her rented typewriter in Berlin in 1984, bringing that to life in a way that critics and audiences celebrate, and they feel it’s perhaps as important as it ever could be right now, is an amazing feeling for us and a responsibility. That scares us. We keep trying to push our boundaries, of what we’re physically capable of producing and emotionally delivering with these characters. Part of year two is understanding, how did this happen? How did Gilead happen? What did it look like before? What’s it like to be at Logan Airport, as there’s an absolute sense of panic? Our storytelling devices, with the flashbacks, allow us to understand so much about the present that we’re telling, narratively, because we’re able to go to past.

It’s remarkable to hear Elisabeth Moss talk about the show because she clearly has so much passion for it. She seems to have endless amounts of energy about something that seems like it’s probably so exhausting to live in. What have you most enjoyed about watching her and what she brings to the role and the series, as both an actor and a producer?

LITTLEFIELD: First of all, we’re all aware that we’re doing a fairly dark drama. It’s a dystopian world, but we actually have a really good time making it. There’s a spirit and a comradery that is delightful, and a lot of that comes from Lizzie, but it also comes from (showrunner) Bruce [Miller]. We feel pretty blessed to be able to have this opportunity to bring Margaret’s vision to life and we carry that in our process, and then we engage in powerful drama. Lizzie really helps give that presence. When we say, “Okay Lizzie, we’re ready, then boom, there’s a transformation of either June or Offred, and we’re in it. The directors are motivated to not disappoint her and to push her. She wants to be challenged. Bruce, myself, all of the directors and our DPs are constantly aware of Lizzie wanting to be challenged. We’re all pushing ourselves. Then, we have this amazing experience of looking at what we shot. We always put our hand over our chest for a moment, and then go, “Holy crap, I think this is pretty powerful stuff.” It’s wonderful. You work just as hard on things that are not nearly as good. That is the process. But we have the wonderful joy of loving it, living it, and being very proud of it.

Along with all the attention on the story and the acting performances, the first season of this series also really put Reed Morano on the map as a director, in a pretty big way. What’s it like to see her success? Is it ever a little bittersweet that her success has made her too busy to be available for the show?

the-handmaids-tale-season-2-warren-littlefield-interview
Image via Hulu

LITTLEFIELD: Reed is a force of nature. It’s fair that everyone who had a vote asked us, “Who is Reed Morano?” In the world of television today, they not inappropriately said, “She doesn’t have an Oscar,” and she didn’t. But we looked at her body of work, most of which was as a DP, and we engaged with her a lot, and we felt that she had a vision that could be really good for the show. Then, our partners at Hulu and MGM said, “Okay, we’ll take that shot.” Reed knew that. She was so motivated and had such a wonderful vision, and she was very collaborative with Bruce and myself. She was not very experienced, as a director, at all, but she had passion, intelligence and great instincts for it. By the way, when we got everyone to say yes to her doing the first hour, then I went, “You know what? We’re just gonna have her do the first three hours.” Everyone said, “Yes,” but they also said, “You realize that, if you’ve made a mistake, then it’s over. This series dies, if this is the wrong director.” I said, “That’s absolutely true, but she’s doing hour one, so if it’s a mistake, it’s already a big mistake and we won’t recover. But if we’re right, then we will solidify who we are.” That’s what happened with Reed. It solidified who we are. Reed, like Gilead, is within us. With all of the blow-up success of her career, which she deserves, I think it was very difficult for her not to come back to Handmaid’s. That was not an easy give-up. Of course, our doors are kicked wide open for the next opportunity that we have to play with her again.

As a producer, what do you most enjoy about working and collaborating with the showrunners on the series that you produce, specifically when it comes to Bruce Miller and Noah Hawley?

the-handmaids-tale-elisabeth-moss
Image via Hulu

LITTLEFIELD: I greatly enjoyed my career as an executive, in my network years, but the higher up you go, the move removed you get from the creative process. You’re certainly still involved in it, but not with intimacy. What I was reminded about with Noah, and absolutely experienced with Bruce, is how wonderful the details of creativity are, to be in a writers’ room, to listen, which is critical, as a producer, to comment, and then to construct. That’s really satisfying. What I love about producing is that you get to sweat the details. They become very much a part of you. So far, we’ve done pretty well, both with Fargo, all three seasons, and with Handmaid’s. It’s fun. It’s crazy, around-the-clock insanity. These are not the largest budgets that anyone works with in television. That’s a great challenge and it’s scary, but we get off on the ambitions and meeting expectations.

We’ve heard that Noah Hawley has an idea for Fargo Season 4. Is there any sense yet for the time period it might be in?

LITTLEFIELD: There is, but you won’t get that out of me. We have a city and a year.

Have you been told if there’s a direct connection to any of the prior seasons with it?

LITTLEFIELD: We always have Easter eggs. There is a connectivity, in each year. Sometimes that comes early-on and sometimes that gets figured out, the deeper the development process goes. We knew there would be a moment when a sly smile came across Noah’s face and he said, “I’ve been thinking,” and “I have an idea.” God bless our partners at MGM, who said, “Whenever you’re ready, we’ll take it.”

the-handmaids-tale-season-2-warren-littlefield-interview
Image via Hulu

Because of the journey that she goes on in Season 2, do you tend to think of the character more as June or as Offred? Have you always thought of her as one or the other, or does it depend on where she’s at?

LITTLEFIELD: I think Elisabeth Moss is playing two roles in this series. What we try to do is keep June’s voice very much alive, and also reveal who Offred is and who she must be, in this world. In year two, we get to examine a little bit about the intersection of June and Offred, how they collide, and how difficult that is. Lizzie Moss is playing two roles. It adds to the complexity. In a desire to challenge Lizzie, challenge ourselves, and provide something that the audience hasn’t seen, the collision of those two roles becomes an even more exciting character study.

It will be really interesting to watch how a pregnancy will affect that and if that will further compartmentalize those two parts of herself, or force them together more.

LITTLEFIELD: You’re absolutely right. Remember, she is carrying a child and she’s a mother to that unborn child. She’s also the mother of Hannah. The desire to protect both also collide. It’s the Sophie’s Choice-like decision of, how do I prioritize this? Am I forced to make a decision? That seems really powerful.

The opening sequence in the first episode of Season 2 is pretty horrific to watch. What did you hope the reaction to that would be, and how do you feel that really sets up what you’re doing with Season 2?

the-handmaids-tale-elisabeth-moss
Image via Hulu

LITTLEFIELD: In Gilead, actions have consequences. I think we have a fasten-your-seatbelt opening to Season 2. That’s all Fenway. That is a sacred cathedral of sports. In our Gilead world, that is no longer. This is what it’s become. That’s an entirely additional dimension to the gallows and where they’re placed and how that plays out. We had great cooperation from our friends at Fenway, the Red Sox, and MLB. They allowed us to have a mass gallows execution in their ballpark, and this is a terrible thing to say, but hat’s off to them. I think it’s a very powerful reminder, in a sacred place, of just how wrong this world has become, and the journey of the resistance begins. A taste of freedom comes to June throughout that hour, and it’s a heart-beating thriller, in addition to everything else that we’re playing with. I love that it plays on a number of levels. What (director) Mike Barker did in that hour and in that opening is pretty phenomenal.

As horrifying, as dark, and as harrowing as this show is, at times, it is really remarkable and important storytelling, and I am grateful that we have it. Thank you!

LITTLEFIELD: That’s so kind. Thank you! We’re fueled by that. That’s caffeine for us, for what we do. We don’t have success without people like you.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 is available to stream at Hulu on April 25th.

the-handmaids-tale-season-2-warren-littlefield-interview
Image via Hulu