Diana Gabaldon on spin-off: "Outlander" creator denies collaboration

The broadcaster Starz announced a few days ago that a prequel to the series "Outlander" was in development.

Diana Gabaldon on spin-off: "Outlander" creator denies collaboration

The broadcaster Starz announced a few days ago that a prequel to the series "Outlander" was in development. The creator of the novel, Diana Gabaldon (70), is not involved in the spin-off, at least so far, as the author now clarifies. "Not only do I have no idea what a 'consulting producer' is, no one has ever spoken to me about being one," she wrote in a Facebook post. "That doesn't mean I won't be involved with the show, but I don't have any details about it at the moment."

The prequel will tell the love story of Jamie Fraser's (Sam Heughan, 42) parents Ellen MacKenzie and Brian Fraser. The author confirmed in her contribution that Gabaldon is currently packing this story into a novel. However, she doesn't know "what the show's schedule might be or to what extent the showrunners plan to use the book (as far as it exists at this point)," Gabaldon clarifies. "'In development' isn't the same as green light; it just means they're starting to put the pieces together," she explains of the stage the Blood of My Blood spin-off seems to be in.

The series of novels tells the story of Englishwoman Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe, 42), who is suddenly catapulted back to the year 1743 and finds the love of her life in Scottish freedom fighter Jamie Fraser. To date, it has been published in over 27 countries and translated into 24 languages. Since the premiere in August 2014, the series has also become a real guarantee of success, raking in the Critics' Choice Awards and People's Choice Awards, among others, and being nominated several times for an Emmy and a Golden Globe. A seventh season of the series has already been ordered.