Outlander's Future Has Been Determined In The Wake Of The Prequel Announcement
If there is one truism about TV history, it's that whenever a network manages to find a winning show, they'll commission a spin-off sooner or later. "Outlander" has proven to be a huge success for Starz, as reflected by its many seasons as well as its dedicated fanbase, not to mention in its 89% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the corresponding 86% audience score. It is rare to see these scores so close to each other, but then again, who can't get behind a love story that literally transcends time?
Although Season 6 of "Outlander" ended in early May 2022, Parade notes that Season 7 of the show had already started filming in the previous month. However, besides getting right back into the saddle with "Outlander," TV Insider has reported that Starz has also ordered a spin-off prequel called "Outlander: Blood of My Blood." This spin-off series will follow the parents of Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), so fans will get a chance to see some background history of the popular show.
This announcement, though — while exciting — also had many viewers concerned that the end of the main series may be near. Thankfully, a new reveal clarifies that the future of "Outlander" is all planned out, and fans should rest easy — because it is fantastic news.
Starz has announced that both Outlander series can co-exist
As Deadline reports, it seems as if "Outlander" will continue in tandem with the newly christened prequel, with Starz President of Original Programming Kathryn Busby saying, "'Outlander' is such a very important show for us that we would love to have as much 'Outlander' as we possibly can have. [The prequel will] absolutely not [take away Starz's commitment to the original series]." She continued, "What we've proven with the 'Power' franchise is that we can have different lanes of storytelling around the same base. We believe that we can do that with 'Outlander' as well. They are not mutually exclusive at all."
Busby then added that they are currently working out the details of collaboration with Diana Gabaldon — the author of the "Outlander" novels that the series is adapted from — to aid in crafting the prequel. This is not a new arrangement, as Gabaldon has previously helped with seasons in "Outlander."
With these comments in mind, it seems like Starz is aiming to transform "Outlander" into a franchise with multiple shows, much like the previously mentioned "Power" franchise or AMC's "Walking Dead" universe. Still, this news should delight fans of the series, because now they'll have at least two doses of Clan Fraser.