Big news out of Fraser's Ridge: As Starz announces today (April 16) that production on Season 5 of Outlander has commenced, BAZAAR.com can exclusively confirm stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are officially producers on the series.
Heughan himself broke the news on Instagram Stories on April 4, posting an image of a storyboard from the premiere episode under a placard with his name titled "producer/cast":
Both Balfe and Heughan expressed a desire to get more involved with the show's production in separate interviews with BAZAAR.com during Season 4. In December, Balfe told BAZAAR, “We would both relish more responsibility. I definitely would love to direct down the line, and I think he would too. I would love to be on set when Sam Heughan’s bossing me around." She added, “It's important to have a say. We've built these characters from day one, and I think we feel—especially when so many of our core writers are not on the show anymore and we've got new writers coming in—it's [important] to retain that through-line throughout all the seasons.”
In January, Heughan echoed Balfe, telling BAZAAR: "We're hoping next season to have a lot more influence in the characters and the storyline, and be a part of that creatively … We've always wanted to be a part of it and to help influence the journey and the story and also to be the guardians of our characters and protect that."
Starz also confirmed today that Season 5 of Outlander will be based on the fifth book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, The Fiery Cross, and will consist of 12 episodes. Filming is currently underway in Scotland.
In a statement through Starz, executive producer Matthew B. Roberts stated of the new season: “In Season 4, Jamie and Claire’s decision to remain in the New World changes the course of their life together. After being struck by the beauty of the North Carolina wilderness—untamed and uncultivated—they choose to call it home: Fraser’s Ridge. However, what is a ‘dream’ for some is a ‘nightmare’ for others. Being at the center of the birth of America is often a bloody and violent and heartbreaking matter. Now, in Season 5, Jamie and Claire’s duty is not only to their loved ones, but to the community of settlers forming part of the ever-increasing Clan Fraser.”
Here's how Starz is describing the new season:
The Frasers of the Ridge are here! The fifth season of Outlander sees a continuation of the Fraser family’s adventures, 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—and protecting it proves even more difficult—particularly in the wild backcountry of North Carolina, during a period of dramatic socio-political upheaval. As Claire knows all too well, friends, neighbors and countrymen are unwittingly marching towards Revolution, with members of the elite ruling classes struggling to stifle the alarming undercurrent of unrest triggered by the Regulator Movement. Against this backdrop, which soon heralds the birth of the new American nation, Claire and Jamie are forced to ask themselves just how far they are willing to go to protect their home, and praying there will be no reason to light the “fiery cross,” an ancient Scottish call to arms.
Additionally, Starz has already renewed Outlander for a sixth season.
