If you’re already a fan of the wildly successful Outlander book series, today is another happy day for you, as Starz has announced the premiere date for Outlander the series, and released a beautiful poster (referred to as “key art” in the entertainment/publicity galaxy).
If you’re thinking this is looking a little bit too much like a romance genre series, be encouraged, as I am, by the fact that the first two episodes of the upcoming time travel series were written by sci-fi legend Ronald D. Moore (of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica) and directed by John Dahl (Dexter, Breaking Bad, Justified), neither of them known for soap opera-ish work. Let’s see what they do with this.
WHAT IF YOUR FUTURE WAS THE PAST?
STARZ TO PREMIERE “OUTLANDER”
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH AT 9PM ET/PT
Starz Releases “Outlander” Key Art
Beverly Hills, Calif. –May 8, 2014 – Starz announced today that its highly anticipated new original series “Outlander,” adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books and executive produced by Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) will debut Saturday, August 9th at 9pm ET/PT. The sixteen-episode first season is currently shooting on location in Scotland. For more information, go to the official Outlander Facebook Page and follow @Outlander_Starz on Twitter and Instagram. Join the conversation with #Outlander and #STARZ.
Starz also released the official image of the key art with the tagline, “What if your future was the past?” The poster depicts Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a married British combat nurse from 1945 who mysteriously falls back in time to 1743 Scotland, where she is torn between her husband Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), a Scottish warrior who comes to her rescue. The image represents Claire’s physical and emotional journey. At the start of the series, she is a woman who has been transported into the past, but she’s reaching back and trying to stay connected to the life and husband that are now beyond her reach. Starz collaborated with The Refinery and photographer Frank Ockenfels 3 to create the key art which was shot on location in the Scottish highlands.
The “Outlander” series spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure in one epic tale. It follows Claire Randall as she navigates the hidden dangers of 18th century Scotland, an unknown world where her freedom and very life are at risk. 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.
Diana Gabaldon’s seven-book series has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and has graced the New York Times best-seller list six times. The eighth installment of the “Outlander” series titled “Written in My Own Heart’s Blood” will be released June 10th, 2014.
The first two episodes of the series are written by Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and directed by John Dahl (“Dexter,” “Breaking Bad,” “Justified”). “Outlander” is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television.
In addition to Caitriona Balfe (Claire), Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) and Tobias Menzies (Frank Randall/Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall), the cast of “Outlander” also includes Graham McTavish (Dougal MacKenzie), Gary Lewis (Colum MacKenzie), Lotte Verbeek (Geillis Duncan), Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh FitzGibbons Fraser).
Starz retains all domestic multiplatform pay TV rights to the original series.
About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.
Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of March 31, 2014, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.3 million subscribers, including 21.9 million at STARZ, and 34.4 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks’ third network MOVIEPLEX®, air over 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution’s home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com), a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is one of the television industry’s leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, around the world and for a multitude of platforms. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) boasts a current program slate that includes top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT has 18 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 15 countries outside the U.S. and also maintains offices in 32 countries. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio includes 124 channel feeds available in 159 countries, reaching more than 800 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE’s premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns production company Embassy Row and is a part owner of cable channel Game Show Network (GSN), 3D channel 3net, premier horror/thriller website and VOD service FEARnet and national U.S media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premier national advertising sales companies and handles the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as in U.S. digital businesses including FEARnet, DrOz.com and PlayStation.
Outlander, starring Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Tobias Menzies, Graham McTavish, Lotte Verbeek, Gary Lewis, Duncan Lacroix, Annette Badland and Stephen Walters premieres Saturday, August 9 at 9/8c on Starz.
