The makers of the fantasy drama series Outlander are all set to create a prequel based on the show. Outlander currently airs on the network Starz.
According to a report by Variety, Outlander’s executive producer and showrunner Matthew B Roberts will be writing and serving as the executive producer for the upcoming show as well. A team of writers is currently being rounded up to work on it.
Ronald D Moore who developed the idea of Outlander will also serve as the prequel’s executive producer under his production banner Tall Ship. Sony Pictures is collaborating with Starz for the project.
The news comes right after the announcement that Outlander has been renewed for a seventh season. It will consist 16 episodes. Starring Sam Heughan and Catriona Balfe in the lead as Jamie and Claire, the plot follows their characters as they travel through time and find themselves in multiple historical events including the Jacobite Rebellion, the first World War, and the American Revolution.
Based on a series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, each season tackles a book from the series. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Gabaldon had earlier hinted at a prequel in a Facebook post in February. There are also speculations that the upcoming prequel will be based on her 2013 novella Virgins which focuses on the younger versions of Jamie and another character called Ian Murray in 1740s France.
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However, representatives from Starz and Sony Pictures have declined to comment on this.
This is the second television series based on Outlander that has been produced by Sony Pictures and Starz. Actors Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish starred in a travel show Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham. An unscripted series, it follows the men as they take viewers around Scotland narrating the country’s history and culture.
Season 6 of Outlander will premiere on March 6.