Hold onto your tricorn hats and whisky glasses: the Outlander universe is expanding. This time, we’re going back even further in time to see just how Jamie Fraser’s (Sam Heughan) family tree got all its drama. Outlander’s upcoming prequel — titled Blood of My Blood — is basically what happens when TV execs ask: What if we met Jamie and Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) parents — and watched them make questionable 18th-century life choices too?
Wait, is Blood of My Blood actually related to Outlander or just another prequel cash-grab?
This new spin-off isn’t just Outlander in fancy dress. Blood of My Blood is literally going to serve you Jamie Fraser’s origin story — plus the unlikely lovebirds who brought Claire into the world too.
Starz (that’s the American network that churns out Outlander) was very clear when they announced it: the prequel will “centre on two parallel love stories set in two different time periods”, following Jamie’s parents in the Scottish Highlands and Claire’s parents in WWI England (yes, two sets of parents, so you get romance and war trauma multiplied).
So, think of it as OG Outlander: Parents’ Edition. If you’ve been wondering where Jamie got his complicated relationship with trauma and devotion, or why Claire gets her face-slapping determination, well, you’re about to see it play out with slightly different wigs and even more kilts.
Who is behind Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
Worried about completely new hands steering your favourite fantasy ship? Fear not. Blood of My Blood is being crafted by Outlander showrunner Matthew B. Roberts, aka the bloke who’s been juggling time-travel romance and Scottish rebellion for years now.
Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis, who helped launch the OG series, are also back, so expect that signature Outlander mix of passion, historical vibes, and sudden violence.
Roberts summed it up when the prequel was announced to that the show 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,” he said.
“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 recognise.”
Who is in Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
Here’s where it gets juicy: Blood of My Blood will star Jamie’s parents, Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy), and Claire’s folks Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) — whose greatest achievement so far is, apparently, making one time-travel nurse.
According to the casting lists, the show will also feature throwback versions of characters Outlander fans know. This includes: Dougal MacKenzie (Sam Retford), Colum MacKenzie (Seamus McLean Ross), Jocasta Cameron (Sadhbh Malin), Mrs. Glenna Fitzgibbons (Sally Messham), Arch Bug (Terence Rae), Uncle Lamb (George Kemp), Rupert MacKenzie (Louis O’Rourke), Angus Mhor (Marlow Walters), Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser (Rory Alexander) and Tony Curran will also play Lord Lovat — Jamie’s charming, slightly villainous granddad.
So, is Outlander: Blood of My Blood based on the books?
Don’t go full book nerd yet. Despite the Outlander series being based on Diana Gabaldon’s bestsellers, this prequel is a little different. Gabaldon has a novella about Jamie’s early days — Virgins — but the prequel series isn’t pulling straight from any existing books (cue gasps from the big readers). Producer Maril Davis confirmed this to Vanity Fair, saying, “We don’t have a book series on this one, so we’re definitely not going to have that debate necessarily of, ‘Oh, this was in the book this way, but the show’s doing it a different way.’”
Basically, expect familiar names, but fresh plots. The scripts, according to cast members like Curran, are meant to feel “very powerful”.
Are Jamie and Claire in Outlander: Blood of My Blood ?
If you’re hoping for even a flash of Heughan’s ginger mane, don’t hold your breath. Heughan confirmed to Esquire UK that he’s not appearing as Jamie — because the prequel is set well before Jamie’s teen years (unless the show goes full time travel shenanigans).
“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,” he said.
It seems this means Claire aka Balfe, won’t be making an appearance either.
When can I watch Outlander: Blood of My Blood?
Outlander: Blood of My Blood will drop its first episode on 9 August 2025 on Stan and let me tell you, we are counting down the days!
Lead image: Outlander: Blood of My Blood
The post Wait, How Is Outlander: Blood Of My Blood Connected To The OG Series? appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
