Starz has ordered a sophomore season of Outlander before the second installment of its rookie run debuts.
The premium programmer has ordered 13 episodes from Sony Pictures Television, based on the second of Diana Gabaldon’s international bestselling books, entitled Dragonfly in Amber.
The first 16-episode season of “Outlander,” which was filmed on location in Scotland, debuted on August 9. Counting multiplatform previews and encores, the first installment set Starz ratings records, surpassing 5 million views in the first week alone, drawing equal male and female viewership
The Outlander series spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure in one grandiose tale. It follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
"The overwhelming support Outlander has received from the fans, viewers and critics made the decision for us to go ahead with the second book a very easy one," said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht in annoncing the renewal. Diana Gabaldon has given us years of great drama. With an incredible artist such as Ronald D. Moore at the helm and a cast as spectacular as this, we look forward to continue this spell-binding journey with Claire, Jamie, Frank, Brianna, Roger and everybody over the centuries."
“Fans of the Outlander books have waited a long time to see this incredible story brought to life on screen, and Ron and his team have delivered a show that exceeds expectations,” said Zack Van Amburg,president of programming for Sony Pictures Television. “We look forward to our continued partnership with Starz to present the next chapter of this epic tale to longtime fans and viewers who are just discovering the series.”
Starz retains all domestic multiplatform pay TV rights to the original series.
