Posted in: Preview, Starz, TV | Tagged: Diana Gabaldon, Outlander, prequel, preview, starz

Outlander Author: "No One Has Talked to Me" About Consulting Producer

On Thursday, STARZ made a whole lot of fans happy with the announcement that development was underway on a prequel series to the global phenomenon entitled Outlander: Blood of My Blood. And one of the names attached to the impressive line-up of folks making it happen was none other than author Diana Gabaldon, who is set to serve as a consulting producer. Except there's one not-so-small problem. "I have no idea what a "Consulting Producer" is, and no one has talked to me about being one," Gabaldon wrote in a Facebook post, offering some clarity to her fans. What follows is the entire text (and you can check out the post here):

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. This doesn't mean that I won't be involved with the show, but I have no details at the moment.

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 show-runners plan to use the book (insofar as it exists by that point). "In development" is not the same thing as being green-lit; it just means they're starting to put together the 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.

With the original series currently in production on the seventh season, showrunner & EP Matthew B. Roberts will serve in those roles on the prequel, along with penning the series. Joining Roberts as executive producers are Maril Davis and Ronald D. Moore (with Story Mining & Supply Company also executive producing). With the writers' room open and rolling, the series will follow the evolving love story of Jamie Fraser's (Sam Heughan) parents.

"Outlander' is a riveting show that from season to season has captured the hearts of its fans around the world," said Kathryn Busby, President, Original Programming at STARZ. "We are excited to peel back the layers of this vibrant world to bring our audience the origin of where it all began. Matthew, Maril, and Ronald will continue to bring their excellent vision and creativity to this new iteration, and we can't wait to see what happens next." Outlander: Blood of My Blood will be produced by Sony Pictures Television. Executive Vice President of Original Programming, Karen Bailey, is set to oversee the prequel on behalf of STARZ. And if you need a reason as to why STARZ loves playing in Gabaldon's creative sandbox? The author's international bestselling books have sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, with all nine of the books hitting the New York Times best-seller list. And as for the premium cable series, you need to look no further than the global streaming numbers when the series isn't in-season to gain a better understanding of just how big of a tentpole the "Outlander" universe is for STARZ. 

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