Outlander may be gearing up for its endgame, but the franchise is far from over.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood was ordered into a series and is officially in production.
But the series will differ slightly from the initial plan, and we’re sure the passionate fans of the franchise will welcome the changes.
When the show scored a formal pickup, it would be a prequel following Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) father and mother, Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie.
While they will both remain in the mix for the new series, we’ll also be delving into Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) past thanks to the introduction of her parents, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp.
Interestingly, the original series has kept details about Julia and Henry under wraps, thanks to Claire’s limited memories of them.
Claire has few memories of her parents on Outlander
We know they both died in a car crash when Claire was young, with her going on to be raised by her uncle.
Starz has confirmed the show will focus “on these two parallel love stories set in two different time periods,” the official description teases.
Jamie’s parents’ storyline will take place in the early 18th-century Scottish Highlands, while Claire’s parents’ storyline will take place in WWI England.
It’s a unique spin and promises the answers about the two couples the main series has thus far been unable to delve too far into.
The original series has excelled for so long because it has tightly woven this love story between Jamie and Claire as they face the impossible every week.
It’s unclear at this stage whether Graham McTavish will return for Blood of My Blood.
Who will star in Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
With production already underway on Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Starz has also confirmed who will be taking on the roles of the parents.
Exciting, right?
Jamie Roy (Condor’s Nest) is set as Brian opposite Harriet Slater (Pennyworth) as Ellen.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Irvine (Treadstone) and Hermione Corfield (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) are set as Henry and Julia.
Will these two couples hold a candle to Jamie and Claire? That’s the big question, but the creatives and stars must deliver, or fans will bail once the curiosity disappears.
We still have plenty of Outlander episodes left to air
It’s unclear whether the prequel will air before Outlander Season 8 — the long-running drama’s final season.
Given that production has yet to get underway on the last hurrah, there’s a good chance we’ll be delving into this backstory before we focus on Outlander’s final season.
Another possibility is for Starz to air the two shows back-to-back because two hours of Outlander goodness every week is far better than one.
Alas, all we can do is await answers, but for now, there’s definitely something fascinating about watching two more love stories set in the Outlander universe play out.
There’s been so much pain for Jamie and Claire over the years, leading us to believe that their parents will experience similar ups and downs.
Outlander is currently on hiatus, but the second half of Season 7 is set to premiere at some point in 2024 on Starz.
Made up crap by Matthew B Roberts regarding Claire’s parents, who the author, Diana Gabaldon, wasn’t interested in