Droughtlander is nearly over as Starz has set the premiere date for Outlander‘s seventh season for Friday, June 16, at midnight ET via streaming and internationally on the Lionsgate+ premium streaming platform in the UK. For linear viewers, the show premieres on the same day, at 8 p.m. ET/PT in the U.S. New episodes will be released weekly Fridays.

The extended 16-episode season will be split into two parts of eight episodes each, with the second half of the series inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s international bestsellers premiering in 2024. See the first-look photos above and below.

Outlander was renewed for an eighth and final season in January, with the prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood, focusing on Jamie Fraser’s parents, also officially ordered to series.

Returning favorites include Caitríona Balfe as Claire Fraser, Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, Sophie Skelton as Brianna MacKenzie, Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie, John Bell as Young Ian, David Berry as Lord John Grey, Caitlin O’Ryan as Lizzie Beardsley and Paul Gorman as Josiah and Keziah Beardsley. They will be joined by newcomers Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom, Izzy Meikle-Small as Rachel Hunter and Joey Phillips as Denzell Hunter.

Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Maril Davis, Toni Graphia, Luke Schelhaas, Andy Harries, Jim Kohlberg, Balfe and Heughan executive produce. The series is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Left Bank Pictures, and Story Mining & Supply Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television. [Source]

The premium cabler has also given a formal series order to a prequel, ‘Blood of My Blood.’

Outlander is coming to an end at Starz — but the saga of the Fraser family is not.

The premium cable outlet will bring Outlander to a close with an eighth and final season. The news comes several months ahead of a planned summer premiere for season seven of the time-traveling historical romance, based on Diana Gabaldon’s series of novels. The series will end as the longest-running original in Starz history.

The final season will run 10 episodes, while the forthcoming seventh season will have 16 installments.

“For nearly a decade Outlander has won the hearts of audiences worldwide and we’re pleased to bring Claire and Jamie’s epic love story to a proper conclusion,” said Kathryn Busby, president original programming at Starz. “But before we close this chapter there is plenty of their passionate story to tell over the course of 26 new episodes and even more to explore of this dynamic world and its origin story. We’re thrilled to continue to partner with Matthew, Maril and Ronald and can’t wait to see where their alluring storytelling takes us next.”

Starz has also given a formal green light to a prequel series titled Outlander: Blood of My Blood. It will chronicle the the love story of Jamie Fraser’s parents, Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie. Matthew B. Roberts will continue showrunning duties from the main series. Gabaldon is a consulting producer.
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I have added some new magazine scans of Caitriona Balfe to the gallery. You can go there to take a look and enjoy!

Caitriona Balfe attends the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences Women In Film Lunch at Claridge’s Hotel on October 7, 2022 in London. You can go to the gallery to take a look to the photos.

397 people were invited to join the Oscars voting ranks, including Jamie Dornan, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jessie Buckley, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and more.

A new royal court of famous faces could soon join the Oscars voting ranks.

The Academy announced Tuesday the list of 397 Hollywood and international film community professionals invited to join AMPAS’ 2022 class, including Outlander and Belfast star Caitríona Balfe, reigning Best Supporting Actress winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), and superstar musician Billie Eilish, who won Best Original Song for her James Bond theme “No Time to Die” earlier this year.

Joining the aforementioned trio on the list of invitees are CODA’s Best Supporting Actor winner Troy Kotsur, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jessie Buckley, Jamie Dornan, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Finneas O’Connell, and Drive My Car mastermind Ryusuke Hamaguchi, among others.

According to an Academy press release, the 2022 class is comprised of 44 percent women, with 37 percent belonging to underrepresented ethnic or racial communities. About 50 percent of the invited class are from 53 countries and territories outside the United States. Overall, 71 potential new members are Oscar nominees, including 15 winners.

An invitation to the Academy does not automatically guarantee membership; those invited are often asked to join in more than one branches (such as Hamaguchi, who was this year invited to join both the writing and directing groups), and must formally accept their invitation before becoming official Academy members.
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