Harriet Slater & Hermione Corfield to Lead Starz Prequel 'Outlander: Blood of My Blood'

Production is officially underway on Outlander: Blood of My Blood, the highly anticipated prequel series to its period romance Outlander. The flagship series is currently in its seventh season and follows the time-traveling love story of Claire Randall (Catriona Baife), a World War II nurse, and eighteenth century Scottish warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Season 7, which is currently on a mid-season hiatus, last saw the pair embroiled in the American Revolution, but the new prequel series will take things back to more familiar territory. 

Blood of My Blood will return us to Scotland to tell the dramatic love story of Jamie's parents, Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser. But, in keeping with the franchise's time-bending premise, the series will simultaneously follow the origin story of Claire's mother and father, Julia Morston and Henry Beauchamp. These parallel love stories will be set in two different historical periods, with Jamie’s parents in the early 18th century Scottish Highlands and Claire’s parents in World War I England.

Starz has also confirmed the quartet of actors set to lead the show, with several familiar faces coming aboard. Belgravia: The Next Chapter star Harriet Slater has been tapped to play Ellen MacKenzie, whose story we've heard bits and pieces of within the world of Outlander back when Claire was a guest of the MacKenzie clan during the series' first season. Jamie Roy (Condor's Nest) will star alongside her as Brian Fraser. We Hunt Together breakout Hermione Corfield will play Claire's mother, Julia, while Jeremy Irvine (Dalgliesh) takes on the role of Henry Beauchamp. 

“We’re thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples," Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner, executive producer, and writer on both Outlander series, said in a statement. "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."

In addition to Roberts, Ronald D. Moore will also executive produce Outlander: Blood of My Blood along with Maril Davis. Moore and Davis developed the original Outlander for television, under their production banner Tall Ship Productions. Story Mining & Supply Company will also executive produce, and Outlander author Diana Gabaldon will serve as a consulting producer. (She's also, for those who are curious, reportedly working on a book about Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser's story.) The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and will be available across all STARZ platforms in the U.S. and Canada.

The first season of Blood of My Blood will be comprised of ten episodes. It does not yet have a premiere date, though the idea that it might air in early 2025 during the gap between Outlander seasons, makes a certain amount of sense. The flagship series, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this summer, will air the back eight episodes of Season 7 later this year and has been confirmed for an eighth and final season, which will also begin production shortly in Scotland.