‘Outlander’ author hasn’t been consulted on the prequel series — despite Starz’s claims

Image via Starz / Outlander

Starz has just announced an Outlander spinoff series taking place before Jamie and Claire’s story, but despite the network claiming that Diana Gabaldon will serve as a consulting producer, the author says no one has gotten in touch with her yet.

Taking to Facebook, because Gabaldon is old-fashioned like that, the writer expressed surprise over Blood of My Blood and claimed she doesn’t know what a “consulting producer” is.

“Well, THIS is interesting. Note that I have no idea what a ‘Consulting Producer’ is, and no one has talked to me about being one,” she wrote. “This doesn’t mean that I won’t be involved with the show, but I have no details at the moment.”

Of course, Gabaldon notes that she is indeed writing a story about Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie’s love story, Jamie’s parents on whom the prequel is based, but she isn’t sure if the Starz producers intend to take influence from that book, if for no other reason besides the fact that it has yet to be published.

“Yes, I am writing Brian and Ellen’s story. I have no idea what the timing of the show might be, or to what extent the showrunners plan to use the book (insofar as it exists by that point.) ‘In development’ is not the same thing as being greenlit; it just means they’re starting to put together pieces. I’m just mentioning it here because Starz announced it today on Twitter and Facebook, so figured everyone would be wanting to know about it.”

Outlander immediately became a phenomenon when it premiered in 2014. In those early days, Jamie and Claire had yet to venture beyond the safe borders of Colum MacKenzie’s keep, but audiences nevertheless fell in love with the story of the English sassenach and his perfect Scotsman lover from another time.

Now, almost a decade into the series, Outlander remains a pop culture sensation, with a dedicated fanbase that always turns up when the series returns for another run. Suffice it to say, it’s hardly surprising that Starz plans to expand the franchise, what with every other competitor doing the same in this content-crazed age.