The upcoming Starz prequel series, "Outlander: Blood of My Blood," has announced the casting of four actors to portray younger versions of key characters from the original show.
Rory Alexander, known for his work in "Inland" and "Pistol," will portray a young Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, originally played by Duncan LaCroix. Sam Retford, recognized for his roles in "Hoard" and "Ackley Bridge," will take on the role of Dougal MacKenzie, originally portrayed by Graham McTavish.
Séamus McLean Ross, known for "Rebus" and "Payback," is set to star as Colum MacKenzie, originally played by Gary Lewis. Conor MacNeill, whose credits include "The Tourist" and "Industry," will portray Ned Gowan, originally portrayed by Bill Paterson.
Showrunner and executive producer Matthew B. Roberts expressed excitement about expanding the cast with well-known characters from the "Outlander" universe. The quartet joins previously announced leads Harriet Slater, Jamie Roy, Hermione Corfield, Jeremy Irvine, and Tony Curran.
"Outlander: Blood of My Blood" will delve into the love stories of Jamie's parents, Ellen MacKenzie (Slater) and Brian Fraser (Roy), and Claire's parents, Julia Moriston (Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Irvine). The series will explore these parallel narratives set in the early 18th century Scottish Highlands and WWI England.
Currently in production in Scotland, the 10-episode first season of "Blood of My Blood" was greenlit by Starz in January 2023.
The show was initially reported by Variety in February 2022. The announcement of the prequel coincided with news of the main series, "Outlander," concluding with its eighth season. Production on the final episodes of the main series is set to begin soon, with the final eight episodes of Season 7 airing later this year.
Executive producers for "Blood of My Blood" include Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis, who developed "Outlander" for television, along with Roberts.
Story Mining & Supply Company and Diana Gabaldon, author of the "Outlander" book series, are also attached as executive and consulting producers, respectively. Sony Pictures Television serves as the studio for the series.
