{"id":340933,"date":"2026-03-21T15:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T15:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/340933\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T15:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T15:51:08","slug":"the-testaments-opens-series-mania-chase-infiniti-ann-dowd-attend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/340933\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Testaments’ Opens Series Mania, Chase Infiniti, Ann Dowd Attend"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe wait is over: The world premiere of \u201cThe Testaments\u201d <\/a>took place at French festival Series Mania<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe new show, produced by MGM Television and based on Margaret Atwood\u2019s novel of the same name, is set to premiere on Disney+ in April. It tells the dramatic story of a young woman\u2019s coming of age in Gilead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tIt follows the privileged Agnes (\u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d breakout Chase Infiniti<\/a>) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead\u2019s borders, as they navigate the halls of Aunt Lydia\u2019s (Ann Dowd<\/a>) elite preparatory school for future wives.<\/p>\n

\n\tDowd, famous for her portrayal of everyone\u2019s favorite villain, said of Aunt Lydia: \u201cI love her. That\u2019s our job as actors. The first rule is: do not judge. I don\u2019t judge her, and she has become a very dear friend of mine. I came to know her, she came to know me, and I couldn\u2019t be more grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tShe described reprising her role as \u201cthe great pleasure and the great joy, a privilege, all of it.\u201d \u201cImagine knowing the character for these many years. How lucky can one be?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLucy Halliday, also present at the fest, was happy to have both the novel and the legendary series \u2013 which ended after six seasons \u2013 to turn to.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe had such strong source material ready, and [with Chase Infiniti] we\u2019ve both been fans of \u2018The Handmaid\u2019s Tale.\u2019 We\u2019ve seen the show and read the books. Then we had Ann, Warren Littlefield, Bruce Miller and Elisabeth Moss [who exec produces], all involved in the creation of the show. We had so much to lean on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tShe recalled: \u201cBruce is so open and willing to have a conversation. He would really sit down with you and [talk about] what the character should be, the ideas you had or just trying to know that his thoughts were your thoughts. That really created a wonderful environment where you felt: \u2018Ok, there\u2019s a responsibility stepping into this world that\u2019s so beloved, but I feel reassured these people have trusted me and given me the space to step into it.\u2019 I felt: \u2018We can do a good job. I really hope the audience thinks so too\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tChase Infiniti discussed the show\u2019s iconic costumes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cFor all of us, since we are wearing a variety of costumes in the show, it\u2019s your first piece of armor. All of our costumes were made to fit us perfectly, but they can be restrictive at times. It helped to get into the physicality of our roles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCreator Bruce Miller and producer Warren Littlefield were also in Lille..\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201c\u2018The Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u2019 covered people who are at the bottom of Gilead, and this shows women who are at the top of Gilead. But it also shows how for women, the top and the bottom are very similar,\u201d Miller told the audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis is a story about awakening and rebellion among younger women in Gilead and those who have grown up there. That\u2019s the expansion of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDespite the show\u2019s darkness, it\u2019s \u201ccritical to have humanity,\u201d added Littlefield.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe live in a world that\u2019s a dark place, and hope comes from their strength and their resilience. Ann crosses over from \u2018The Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u2019 as Aunt Lydia \u2013 she knows that world. These young women have an awakening in our season one, and they will come to fight it. Let\u2019s hope they take it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring the opening ceremony, Managing Director Laurence Herszberg also welcomed the jury of the International Competition, led by Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson who presented \u201cThe Danish Woman\u201d only last year.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhen I came here, \u2018The Danish Woman\u2019 didn\u2019t get any prizes. It was a scandal! Now, I\u2019m here to take revenge. And by \u2018revenge,\u2019 I mean that I will make sure the best series wins,\u201d he joked, joined by Alice Braga, Hatik and C\u00e9cile de France.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut there was a somber note too, as one of the jurors, Ida Panahandeh, couldn\u2019t attend Series Mania because of the ongoing war. She did send a message to the audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019m deeply happy to know that somewhere in the world, there are people like you, people who strive to make this world a better place to live. You know, if I come out of this war alive, perhaps I will make a series that tells the story of the bitter days and nights my people are dealing. People who have been crushed for decades under the weight of social or political discrimination, economic sanctions, and who are now also living under fallen missiles, emancipated,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhenever soldiers begin crossing their country\u2019s borders, artists suddenly find themselves forbidden to leave theirs. It\u2019s a bitter irony, isn\u2019t it? I wish all the soldiers to stay within their own borders and take a rest. While, you know, all the artists could cross borders freely, without a doubt, we would have a far better world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tShe added: \u201cMy dear friends, let us condemn war, any war, whether it\u2019s in Ukraine, Iran, or Gaza. Let us condemn the brutal killing of children and civilians, regardless of the color of their skin or their eyes. And let us not below the promise of peace and democracy to become an excuse for the re-emergence of fascism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHerszberg noted: \u201cIn a world rife with violence coming from all sides and deepening divisions, it is essential to remember the role of culture \u2013 as a source of guidance and enlightenment \u2013 and the role of festivals as a place where we can come together when everything else is in flux.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tShe called Series Mania an event that \u201cgives a voice to artists and their work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt is a week that fosters the exchange of perspectives and opinions, and allows artists to express themselves freely, regardless of their nationality. Here, we do not judge by passport; we look at the works of the mind. We would like to remind everyone of a truth that is often forgotten. Creative freedom is fragile, and wherever that freedom is threatened, artists are among the first victims.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cTo all these artists, we want to say one simple thing. Their works will always find a place at Series Mania. Because we know that culture is not a luxury reserved for peaceful times. It allows societies to weather storms without losing their soul. It is the thread that connects human beings, transcending borders, languages, and fears.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The wait is over: The world premiere of \u201cThe Testaments\u201d took place at French festival Series Mania.\u00a0 The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":340934,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[182186,26863,156,111,139,69,157230,122344,127371,437],"class_list":{"0":"post-340933","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-ann-dowd","9":"tag-chase-infiniti","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz","14":"tag-series-mania","15":"tag-the-handmaids-tale","16":"tag-the-testaments","17":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}