Elisabeth Moss to star in Hulu adaptation of 'The Handmaid's Tale'

Elisabeth Moss is heading to Hulu. 

The digital network today announced that the Mad Men alum will star in its adaption of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which on Friday also received a straight-to-series order.

The show will be executive produced and written by Bruce Miller (The 100). Atwood will serve as consulting producer for the series, which will debut in 2017.

For those unfamiliar with the novel, the show will take place in a dystopia called Gilead -- a totalitarian society rooted in "twisted religious fundamentalism." It sucks to be a woman living there.

Moss will play a woman who lives there. 

Her character is named Offred, and she's a handmaid navigating a male-dominated society that only values her for her baby-making ovaries. 

“Hulu has established itself as a home for blockbuster television events and what better way to expand our originals offering than with a series based on this acclaimed, best-selling novel,” said Craig Erwich, SVP and head of content at Hulu. “Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale was seen as ahead of its time, and we look forward to bringing it to life on our platform."

Atwood adds: "I am thrilled that MGM and Hulu are developing The Handmaid's Tale as a series, and extra thrilled that the very talented Elisabeth Moss will be playing the central character. The Handmaid's Tale is more relevant now than when it was written, and I am sure the series will be watched with great interest. I have read the first two scripts and they are excellent; I can hardly wait to see the finished episodes." 

The project marks the first collaboration between MGM TV and Hulu. The show is expected to go into production later this year and will premiere on Hulu in 2017.

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