Where Was The Handmaids Tale Filmed? Insane Dystopian Tale!

Whenever you feel you’re sick of the society you live in, then take a moment to think about how close you are to being in a dystopian society. A place where natal slaves are common, and anarchy prevails. If you don’t want to do the thinking then just watch the show The Handmaid’s Tale instead! Today, we will tell you all about it, and also tell you where was The Handmaids Tale filmed! So keep on reading till the very end!

The Emmy-winning show is based on the Margot Atwood novel of the same name. Therefore, you can bet your bottom dollar that the show is amazing! The Handmaid’s Tale has been adapted for TV by none other than Bruce Miller. With the show going with the whole haunting vibes, the filming locations have been important as ever.  

So, where was The Handmaids Tale filmed? The show is based in the fictional region of the Republic of Gilead, but that doesn’t exist. Most of the filming for the show has been done in Ontario, Canada. More specifically in the cities of Toronto, Hamilton, and Cambridge. Some small towns like Brantford and Mississauga also feature in the show!

The filming locations of The Handmaiden’s Tale play a pivotal role in selling the dystopian vibe of the show. That is because it is entirely dependent on the cinematography to sell the whole story. Transporting us from today to a time unknown, it’s fair to say the showrunners have done a good job! Some of the best examples of this can be seen through shows like The Midnight Club or movies like Mr. Harrigan’s Phone!

The Plot Of The Handmaid’s Tale | What Is The Series About?

Now, before we move on to see where was The Handmaids Tale filmed, let’s check out what the plot of the show is! The show received countless award nominations and ended up scooping a fair chunk of them. The Handmaid’s Tale stars Elizabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, and Madeline Brewer in lead roles.

The show is set in the United States but with a dystopian twist. After the breakout of the second American Civil war, the country has been overrun by a new economic government. The new government is called the Republic of Gilead. Society at large has broken down, and rules run amuck. The people in power are constantly in a battle to stay in power, and new rules to govern the people have come up.

Among those rules is a new regulation for the elite. It is the ability to own Handmaids. With the female population of the world diminishing due to disease and chaos, it is now up to the elites in Gilead to repopulate through their ‘slaves.’ The handmaids have no rights, they’re not allowed to have money or own property. Basically, living their lives like objects.

June Osborne (played by Elizabeth Moss) is the central figure of our story. We follow her life as she is allotted as a handmaid to one of the highest-ranking elites in Gilead. June is forced into a lot of things that she doesn’t like as she remains separated from her husband and her daughter. As the fire to reunite with her family keeps on burning, we see a lot of dark twists and turns!

Where Was The Handmaids Tale Filmed? All The Locations You Need To Know About!

For her portrayal of June Osborne, Elizabeth Moss ended up winning multiple awards, including an Emmy for best actress in a drama series. Her convincing portrayal of a subjugated woman looking for her rights and liberation resonated with many. From slavery to totalitarian governments, The Handmaid’s Tale touches on a variety of subjects efficiently.

With the locations being key, let’s find out where was The Handmaids Tale filmed in Canada! Some locations have remained throughout the five seasons, while some have changed.

Ontario, Canada

Ontario is the home to the author Margaret Atwood whose novel the show is based on. While that didn’t really play an important factor, it is still quite relevant to the show. Maybe it is how Atwood imagined things in her head, and the locations of her neighborhood played a pivotal role in setting these scenes. Either way, many major and small cities up in Ontario were used. That is the general answer to where was The Handmaids Tale filmed!

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Most of the filming has been done in Toronto, Ontario. Several locations had to be altered in order for them to give a dystopian feel. Key locations that have been used extensively for the filing of The Handmaid’s Tale are the Toronto City Hall as well as the Council Chambers. The Red center, where all the handmaids are trained has been filmed at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church on Queen Street East and Silver Birch Avenue.

Hamilton, And Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

Cambridge has also been used in a few scenes throughout the filming of the show. Some places in particular that were used as filming grounds include Mill Race Park, Main Street bridge, and the Presbyterian Church.

On the other hand, places in Hamilton have been extensively used throughout the later seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale. Some important locations include James Street Baptist Church and the Scottish Rite Club Council Chamber. The location of the Waterfords home where June is taken as a slave is Aberdeen Street in Hamilton.

Brantford And Mississauga

Brantford is located in the southwestern part of Ontario and was used for several different scenes throughout the filming of the five seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale. Similarly, filming also took place for a few scenes in the Mississauga region too!

Washington Monument, Washington D.C., USA

While most of the show has been filmed up north in Canada, there have been times when filming locations of The Handmaid’s Tale needed a shift. That includes a pivotal scene back in season 2 of the show. The scene is set at the iconic Washington Monument down in the capital.

It is entirely possible to have shot the scene in front of a green screen, but the showrunners pressed for authenticity. They finally got the permission they required, but it was only for a day. According to reports, the filming for a day took over seven months of planning in order to be executed perfectly. 

Final Words

So, there you have it, mystery fans! We hope now you know where was The Handmaids Tale filmed! The show is quite a sinister take on modern society and will definitely make you think. Margaret Atwood wrote the novel back in the 80s, and it’s weird to think how ahead of its time the show has been!

Also, if you liked finding out about the filming locations of the show, then check out our other stuff too! We’re sure you’re going to like where were shows like Line of Duty, Heartland and The Vampire Diaries filmed!