The original Doughtlander may not be over, but Outlander: Blood of My Blood hopes to close the gap.
For sure, it will be taking over where Outlander leaves off, even if it explores a story long before Jamie and Claire were figments of their parents’ imagination.
Here’s what we know about Blood of My Blood Season 1 so far.
What is Outlander?
It’s best to start with what we know, which is what came before. Outlander is based on a series of books by author Diana Gabaldon.
Outlander is a time-traveling love story between 20th-century (married) nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and 18th-century Jamie Fraser.
When visiting the ancestral home of her husband, Frank, Claire stumbles through the rocks at Craigh na Dun, which takes her back in time.
Unable to easily find her way back, the sassy lady leans on handsome laird Jamie for protection, and soon, they are in love. Time travel is a constant in their lives, and the story centers on their love and family.
What is Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
Blood of My Blood will explore the lives and relationships of Jamie’s parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser.
Starz confirmed today that the series will also explore the origin story of Claire’s parents, Julia Moriston and Henry Beauchamp.
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.
Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner, executive producer, and writer on both series, has this to say:
“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.”
This is the first time that characters in Gabaldon’s universe go so far beyond her writing. There is no roadmap, but she remains involved with the show to ensure the nature of them lives on. Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis will be executive producers.
Who Stars in Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
Harriet Slater will play Jamie’s mother, Ellen MacKenzie.
A talented English actress, Harriet Slater discovered her passion for the craft at a young age through her involvement with the Leicester Drama Society.
After drama school in Guildford and signing with a prestigious talent agency in London, she made her mark with roles in a unique play at the Theatre Royal, a stint at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and as “Sandra Onslow” in three seasons of Pennyworth.
Slater’s career continued to soar with appearances in the latest Indiana Jones film and The Haunting in Wicker Park, and she is set to star in the upcoming horror film Horrorscope while recently leading in Julian Fellowes’ Belgravia: The Next Chapter.
Jamie Roy plays Jamie’s father, Brian Fraser.
A keen and talented golfer and rugby player, Jamie Roy was born in Greenock and grew up in Glasgow, Scotland.
He has lived in America for a number of years, where he has developed his career.
Roy’s credits include Condor’s Nest, Your Boyfriend is Mine, Squeaky Clean Mysteries: Hazardous Duty, Flowers and Honey, Burning Little Lies, and Picture Perfect Lies.
Hermione Corfield plays Claire’s mother, Julia Moriston.
Hermione Corfield has had an extensive career on screen. Her film, The Road Dance, won the 2021 Audience Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
Other film credits include King Arthur: Legend of the Sword with Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, and Aiden Gillen; xXx: Return of Xander Cage, alongside Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, and Nina Dobrev; and horror parody Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which starred Lily James, Sam Riley, and Charles Dance.
For television, she starred as “Freddy” in We Hunt Together, which is currently in its second season. She also previously starred in the period drama series The Halcyon, co-starring Olivia Williams, Jamie Blackley, and Kara Tointon.
Jeremy Irvine plays Claire’s father, Henry Beauchamp.
Jeremy Irvine is an English stage and screen actor.
He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before catching Hollywood’s eye by starring in Steven Spielberg’s 2011 epic war film War Horse, which received a Best Picture nomination for the 2012 Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
Irvine earned widespread critical acclaim for his role opposite Dakota Fanning in the independent film Now Is Good, leading critics to list him among Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars.
In 2013, he lost more than 25 pounds and performed his own torture scene stunts in the film The Railway Man. In 2018, Jeremy played the younger version of Pierce Brosnan’s character “Sam” in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again opposite Lily James and directed by Ol Parker.
Rory Alexander will play Murtagh Fraser.
Murtagh ultimeately becomes Jamie’s godfather and close companion, a man for whom when he was older, Jamie Fraser had the utmost trust.
Rory Alexander was long listed for a BIFA for Best Breakthrough Performance for his leading role in Inland opposite Mark Rylance.
He played the band’s driver in “Pistol,” Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols mini-series.
Alexander has not stopped working since graduating from Bristol Old Vic in 2020. Key credits include the lead in another feature, There’s Someone at the Window, and two brilliant guest spots in the second season of Alex Rider and Call the Midwife.
Sam Retford will be Dougal MacKenzie.
Dougal is Jamie’s maternal uncle, the MacKenzie war chieftain, and a central character in the earlier episodes of Outlander.
He is best known for his role as Cory Wilson in “Ackley Bridge” and has since gone on to feature in numerous shows such as The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, Ralph and Katie, Blindspot, Coronation Street, and All Creatures Great and Small.
Séamus McLean Ross plays Colum MacKenzie
Column is Dougal’s brother and chief of the MacKenzie clan.
Séamus McLean Ross graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2022 and made his on-screen debut in Rebus and Payback.
He had a leading role in The Flea, directed by Jay Miller at The Yard Theatre, and, while at Guildhall, he took the leading roles in theatre productions, including playing Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Nickolai Oblonsky in Anna Karenina.
Conor MacNeill plays Ned Gowan
Gowan works closely with the MacKenzie clan before, years later, befriending Claire.
An Irish actor and writer, Conor MacNeill has worked on several fantastic projects. Most recently, he was featured in an episode of The Tourist alongside Jamie Dornan.
In 2023, MacNeill worked on several projects, most notably the well-received action/crime thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners, in which he starred alongside Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, and Jack Gleeson.
He also portrayed the ole of Bodhi in the Guy Ritchie film Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre, starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, and Cary Elwes. MacNeill also took on the role of “Martyn Smith” in the TV mini-series The Sixth Commandment.
Will there be Time Travel in Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
It seems unlikely that there will be time travel in the prequel series.
Given what we know about how Jamie and Claire have handled their own knowledge of the adventure and who they let into their inner circle, it would seem unlikely they would not have known about traveling if it had occurred.
But then again, we won’t know until the show begins.
We can reiterate that the show will take place in two time periods, and we expect any overlaps to result from the Outlander story as we know it so far.
Is Outlander: Blood of My Blood in production?
Yes, production on the prequel series is currently underway in Scotland.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood First Look Photos
Starz released our first look at the new series. We can feel the love from here!
Is there an Outlander: Blood of My Blood trailer?
There is no trailer at this time, and no photos have been released.
However, as shooting is underway and those involved with the show know how much fans live on such updates, it will not be surprising if we begin to get glimpses now that the production and casting news has been revealed.
How Many Episodes are in Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 1?
The Outlander prequel series has been granted ten episodes for Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 1.
Has Outlander: Blood of My Blood Been Renewed?
At this time, Blood of My Blood has only gotten the green light for one series.
Where Can I Watch Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
Blood of My Blood will be a Starz exclusive series, available on linear TV and any streaming options.
When Will Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 1 Premiere?
Again, this is in the early stages of filming, so we don’t know when it will premiere.
What we do know is that Outlander Season 8 will be its final season, and production for its swan song will be underway this summer in Scotland.
Since production for Blood of My Blood has already begun, we may see it before the final season of Outlander, hoping that, while the original series is still running, people may be more amenable to latching onto something new before saying goodbye.
Playing producer and network exec, that would be my approach — to premiere the unknown before the final season of a beloved series to give fans something to hold onto before its final curtain call.
That’s all we’ve got for now, but as news is revealed, this is where you should return for news on all things related to Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 1!
