If you're a fan of Starz's Outlander, there's a lot to look forward to on the horizon. The show will return for the second half of its seventh season this fall, and an eighth and final season will begin production in Scotland soon—and that's not all. An Outlander prequel series is on the way.
The series finally has an official title: Blood of my Blood. The series will focus on the love story between Jamie Fraser's parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser, and Claire's parents, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp. Per Starz, "The series will center on these two parallel love stories set in two different time periods, with Jamie’s parents in the early 18th century Scottish Highlands and Claire’s parents in WWI England."
Here's everything we know about the Outlander prequel.
There will be two parallel love stories.
Outlander showrunner Matthew B. Roberts will return to write and executive produce the prequel series. Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis will also return as executive producers. "We’re thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples. The origins of their relationships explore universal themes that transcend time periods and we’re so excited for fans to discover and fall in love with these characters and their love stories the way they have with Claire and Jamie," Roberts said in a statement.
When the prequel was originally announced, he said, “Outlander: Blood of My Blood is, at its heart, a love story. It will explore what lengths a person will go to find love in a time when love is considered a luxury, and when marriages are made strategically, often for political or financial gain. The title is a nod to Jamie Fraser’s marriage vow to Claire and there will be several names and faces that Outlander fans will know and recognize. Jamie and Claire’s TV story may be coming to an end with season eight, but Diana is continuing on with their literary journey in her wonderful book series and is working diligently on book ten. With Jamie and Claire, and now Brian and Ellen, there is still so much more to come in the Outlander universe, and we cannot wait to continue sharing these stories with our dedicated fans.”
Blood of My Blood features an exciting cast.
In February 2024, Starz announced the show was in production in Scotland and announced casting for all four lead roles. In the following weeks, the rest of the cast was announced.
In Jamie's parents' timeline in the 18th century Scottish Highlands:
- Harriet Slater as Ellen MacKenzie, Jamie's mother
- Jamie Roy as Brian Fraser, Jamie's father
- Tony Curran as Lord Lovat, Jamie's grandfather
- Rory Alexander as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser
- Sam Retford as Dougal MacKenzie
- Séamus McLean Ross as Colum MacKenzie
- Conor MacNeil as Ned Gowan
- Brian McCardie as Isaac, the leader of Clan Grant
- Jhon Lumsden as Isaac's son, Malcom, and a suitor of Ellen
- Sarah Vickers as Davina Porter, a housekeeper in the Lovat household and Brian Fraser's mother
- Peter Mullan as Red Jacob MacKenzie, Laird of Clan MacKenzie and Ellen's father
- Sally Messham as Mrs. Fitz, Ellen's maid at Castle Leoch and Murtagh's aunt
- Terence Rae as Arch Bug, a Clan Grant bodyguard
- Sadhbh Malin as Jocasta Cameron, the youngest child of the MacKenzie clan
- Ailsa Davidson as Janet MacKenzie, another MacKenzie sibling
In Claire's parents' timeline in WWI-era England:
- Hermione Corfield as Julia Moriston, Claire's mother
- Jeremy Irvine as Henry Beauchamp, Claire's father
- Annabelle Dowler as Lizbeth, Julia's boss in the War Department
- Harry Eaton as Private Charlton, Henry's fellow soldier and friend
In April 2024, Curran offered a preview of his role as Lord Lovat to Town & Country, saying his character is a "bit of a lothario" in the show. He added, "I don't know if there's been a character quite like Lord Lovat in the Outlander series so far. He's a man who feels he's been crossed. His title, his lands, have been taken away from him, and he's got a bone to pick with many of the Grants, the MacKenzies, et. al. He's quite the chess player when it comes to a sort of calculating approach to how to deal with getting his estate back and his name, and he's extremely ambitious."
He also shared, "The [Blood of My Blood] scripts are really good. What I've seen looks very powerful, and of course the Outlander fanbase is hopefully quite excited to see what comes."
It could draw from Diana Gabaldon's work.
Although the plot of Blood of my Blood is sure to be shrouded in mystery for some time, we do have some sense of what the plot might involve. As fans of Diana Gabaldon's original book series will know, there are a huge number of novellas and short stories that complement the Outlander novels—but only one of them is a prequel. That's Virgins, a novella which follows a 19-year-old Jamie Fraser as mercenaries in 18th century France. (If you're curious, we have a full guide to the chronological order of Gabaldon's books to get you started.)
Gabaldon did reveal that in addition to starting work on the tenth (and potentially final) Outlander novel, she's also in the very early stages of a prequel book. In a Facebook post, she revealed that it will focus on Ellen MacKenzie, Jamie Fraser's mother, suggesting that it'll be set well before Virgins. It's easy to imagine a show that begins with Ellen's upbringing in the Scottish Highlands, and chronicles her courtship with Brian Fraser, and the birth of Jamie and her other children.
Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe will likely not be in the series.
In an interview with Esquire UK, Sam Heughan confirmed as much. "All I can tell you is I’m not in it, as Jamie’s not in it," he said, indicating that the series may actually be set well before Virgins. "I believe that it’s a prequel focusing on Jamie’s parents when they were younger, so I guess you might see a young version of him at some point."
Heughan went on to admit that given the... flexible nature of time in the Outlander universe, he couldn't rule out showing up in the prequel series at some point. "I think I may be a little too old to play young Jamie now! I could play his dad maybe, or a flash forward? It is time travel, after all."
We'll update this as soon as we learn more about the Outlander prequel Blood of My Blood.
Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
