Outlander is finally on the verge of ending its latest Droughtlander with Season 6's arrival in March, and now fans are getting even more good news. After years of rumors, hopes, and possibilities, the network is getting a spinoff series into development. If all goes well, there could be even more action set in the Outlander universe on the small screen!
A prequel spinoff of Outlander is reportedly in development at Starz, according to sources cited by Variety, which further reports that Outlander showrunner and executive producer Matthew B. Roberts is slated to executive produce and write for the project if it does become a full series. Outlander developer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer Maril Davis are both expected to serve as EPs as well. Work on the project could begin as soon as in the coming weeks, with the expectation that a writers' room is coming together already.
Neither Starz nor production company Sony Pictures Television have commented at the time of writing, but reports of a developing spinoff come as no surprise. Outlander has been a massive hit for the network with an audience demographic that hasn't necessarily been tapped so consistently elsewhere on television, although women who watch do not all tune in for a single particular reason, as author Diana Gabaldon pointed out in response to comments from Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch in 2019.
Also encouraging on the spinoff front is the fact that Diana Gabaldon has already expanded the Outlander universe beyond Claire and Jamie Fraser with other publications. There are currently no details available regarding what the potential prequel would cover as far as plot, but there's no shortage of characters who could anchor their own shows, spread across the various locations that the show has covered. Plus, considering how much the show has played with time, "prequel" could even be up to interpretation.
News of the potential prequel spinoff comes with Outlander Season 6 charging ahead in time to one of the most dangerous times in history for the Fraser family, with the Revolutionary War fast-approaching and the Frasers caught in a position between the powerful British in North Carolina and their certainty (thanks to Claire, Brianna, and Roger bringing their knowledge of history back to the 18th century) of the outcome of the revolution.
Trailer footage of Season 6 previews just how close war has come to Fraser's Ridge, and that's presumably on top of the fallout from the end of Season 5 and the brutal attack on Claire, plus the worrying arrival of the Christies. Throw in the challenges that are even facing Fergus and Marsali not long after Marsali was injured during the attack on Fraser's Ridge in the fifth season, and the sixth season should be one of the most exciting of the series to date. And now fans have even more exciting news about the potential prequel!
If a prequel series does happen and production is timed in a certain way, it's also possible that Starz could prevent the sense of Droughtlander each time by releasing a spinoff season in between each installment of Outlander. We can only speculate at this point, and look forward to the arrival of Season 6 on Sunday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET in the 2022 TV schedule. Even the opening credits indicate that this season could be something different in a number of ways, so be sure to tune in!
