The Fraser and Beauchamp bloodlines haven’t run their course yet. Although Season 1 of the highly anticipated Outlander prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood has yet to premiere on Starz, the network has already decided to hand down a second season order. More excitingly, cameras are now rolling on the next run in Scotland on the same stages as the flagship series, with stars Jamie Roy, Harriet Slater, Hermione Corfield, and Jeremy Irvine whisked back in time once again to continue unfolding their epic tale of romance. In the meantime, the quartet will kick off the saga of Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser’s (Caitríona Balfe) parents on August 8.
The renewal ensures that Outlander will continue to be at the heart of Starz’s slate of shows for the foreseeable future, even though the main series is coming to a close. Since 2014, the sweeping adaptation of Diana Gabaldon‘s bestselling novels has been a fan-favorite staple of the network, exploring the adventures and ever-evolving romance between the Highland warrior Jamie and his soulmate out of time, Claire. Blood of My Blood will add some perspective to the original show, featuring younger versions of characters fans are familiar with from early seasons, while telling a story that has been unexplored thus far on television. However, it’s still meant to be an approachable, standalone origin story for longtime viewers and newcomers alike who are interested in fantastical romance set between the Scottish highlands and the battlefields of World War I.
Blood of My Blood casts Slater and Roy as Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, respectively, whose chance encounter in 18th-century Scotland blossoms into a deep love that would pass on to Jamie. Corfield and Irvine, then, embody Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp, whose fated meeting in 1910s England leads to Claire. Separate yet intersecting in surprising ways, the couples each battle against the forces that threaten to tear them apart, finding strength in each other along the journey. Among those bringing to life the mix of new and returning characters will be Tony Curran as Simon Fraser, Rory Alexander as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, Séamus McLean Ross, and Sam Retford as Colum and Dougal MacKenzie, and Conor MacNeill as Ned Gowan. Sadly, one star who won’t be returning for Season 2 will be Brian McCardie, who sadly passed away in April 2024 and was initially planned to have a larger story in Blood of My Blood‘s future.
Who Is Behind ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’?
Longtime Outlander producer Matthew B. Roberts will be stepping up as showrunner for Blood of My Blood, with original series developer Ronald D. Moore sticking around as an executive producer alongside Maril Davis and Jim Kohlber. Sony Pictures Television will produce the prequel. If the episode titles alone are any indication, this ten-part run will be just as packed with rollicking adventures, passionate romance, and political maneuvering among each of the families as the first series is. Starz‘s President of Programming, Kathryn Busby, hit on how this expansion into the world of Outlander is a production of legacy, uniting old creative partners and respecting the long-running while creating its own swoon-worthy path:
“The world of ‘Outlander’ has captivated audiences with its sweeping storytelling and unforgettable characters. With Blood of my Blood, we’ve expanded the universe in a way that honors the original, while charting bold new territory. Fans—longtime and new—will be drawn to the powerful love stories at the heart of this next chapter, and we’re proud to continue building on the franchise’s legacy with Matt and our longtime partners at Sony, who have worked tirelessly to make Outlander the global phenomenon it has become.”
Outlander: Blood of My Blood debuts on August 8 on Starz. New episodes will stream weekly on Fridays on the Starz app and all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms. The flagship series, meanwhile, is still waiting for a release date for its eighth and final season after filming wrapped in September.
via Collider