Starz has renewed Outlander for an eighth season, which will also be the last for the series based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon .
The final season will consist of ten episodes, less than the seventh, which will start in the summer and will contain sixteen.
Kathryn Busby , president of original programming at Starz, said:
For nearly a decade, Outlander has captured the hearts of moviegoers around the world, and we’re delighted to bring Claire and Jamie’s epic love story to a fitting conclusion. But before we close this chapter there will still be a lot of story to tell over the course of 26 new episodes and even more to explore in the origin story of this dynamic world.
Busby is referring to the prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood , which will follow the love story of Jamie Fraser’s parents . Matthew B. Roberts , showrunner and executive producer of the original series, is writing the prequel and will also serve as showrunner and executive producer along with Maril Davis and Ronald D. Moore , who developed Outlander for television. Roberts described the series thus:
Outlander: Blood of My Blood is, first and foremost, a love story. It will examine what one is determined to do to find love in an age where love is considered a luxury, and where marriages are strategically arranged, often for political or financial reasons. The title refers to Jamie Fraser’s wedding vow to Claire and there will be several names and faces that Outlander fans will recognize. Jamie and Claire’s TV story may be drawing to a close with season 8, but Diana is continuing their literary journey in her wonderful series of novels and is busily working on book ten. With Jamie and Claire, and now Brian and Ellen, there’s so much more to come for the Outlander universe, and we look forward to continuing to share these stories with our loyal fans.