The first two seasons of “The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered in April, making fans pretty sure that the dystopian series was only a couple months away. However, Hulu announced Monday that the third season won’t be released until June.

The official “Handmaid’s Tale” Season 3 release date is Wednesday, June 5 at 12 a.m. EDT. Three new episodes will release on premiere day, but the remaining installments will drop on Hulu one at a time every Wednesday.

The new premiere date gives the drama some space in the pop culture zeitgeist. It will avoid airing during the highly-publicized final season of “Game of Thrones.” It also avoids the “Avengers: Endgame” media hype.

However, the June 5 release date also prevents the show from entering the best drama category at the Emmys. Complete seasons have to air between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019 to compete. Episodes from the latter half of “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 2 (which aired after June 1) will be eligible for individual categories like direction, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 2 ended with a big twist. Emily (Alexis Bledel) and June (Elisabeth Moss) had the opportunity to go to Canada. Yet, June handed her baby off to Emily and decided to stay behind. She has to get Hannah, her eldest daughter, out of Gilead before she can leave. Season 3 will show what happens after her near-escape.

Audiences clearly have a thirst for more Gilead. Author Margaret Atwood has even decided to write a sequel to the book the TV series is based on. “The Testaments” will be released in September, more than 30 years after “The Handmaid’s Tale” was first published.

The Handmaid's Tale Season 3 release date
"The Handmaid's Tale" Season 3 will not be released until June. George Kraychyk/Hulu
RELATED STORIES
Canada