News of the prequel series comes ahead of Outlander’s Season 6 premiere on March 6, which picks up shortly after traumatizing events of season five. When viewers last saw Claire (Catrionia Balfe), she had returned to Fraser’s Ridge after escaping a violent encounter with Lionel Brown. Claire and Jamie (Sam Heughan) were facing the threat of a looming Revolutionary War, and a decision as to what is best for their family.
Per the logline, Season 6 “sees a continuation of Claire and Jamie’s fight to protect those they love, as they navigate the trials and tribulations of life in colonial America. Establishing a home in the New World is by no means an easy task, particularly in the wild backcountry of North Carolina – and perhaps most significantly – during a period of dramatic political upheaval. The Frasers strive to maintain peace and flourish within a society which – as Claire knows all too well – is unwittingly marching towards Revolution. Against this backdrop, which heralds the birth of the new American nation, Claire and Jamie have built a home together at Fraser’s Ridge.”
The series is based on the Outlander book series by Diana Gabaldon, who revealed in early February that she is writing a prequel to the franchise. On Facebook Gabaldon shared that the in-the-works prequel will center on Ellen MacKenzie, the wife of Brian Fraser and the mother to Jamie Fraser. The author also previously centered a young Jamie Fraser in the 2013 book, Virgins..
Starz has already renewed Outlander for Season 7, which will be based on the seventh of the eight books in the series.