Looks Like We Might Get Outlander Season 8 Sooner Than Expected
Unless the writers' strike throws a wrench in the plans.
Part one of Outlander's seventh season is set to debut on 16 June. As fans eagerly anticipate its arrival on Starz, they can’t help but wonder when they can expect the show’s eighth season.
Or, at the very least, its initial half, assuming it will also be released in two segments.
Until recently, the consensus was that season eight will likely be released in 2025 or perhaps even 2026. The second half of Season 7 is yet to have a confirmed release date, even though it is slated for next year. Outlander has previously seen a two-year gap between Seasons 5 and 6. The eighth season is intended to be the final one, so the production may require extra time and effort to make sure the series is concluded with requisite finesse. Additionally, until recently, there had been no indications that the production of Season 8 would be starting any time soon.
'Until recently' are indeed the crucial words here. Caitriona Balfe, who portrays Claire Fraser, recently appeared on the Irish chat show, The Late Late Show, and shed some light on the timeline for the production of Outlander's eighth season: 'We're about to start shooting, in a few months, our eighth season…'
Should filming kick off in the next few months, the first episode of Season 8 could potentially air as early as late 2024 or, in a less ideal scenario, early 2025. To date, Outlander's crew has consistently released new seasons within a year of starting production.
During her talk show appearance, Caitriona seemed particularly enthusiastic about her role in Outlander. Perhaps such excitement can be attributed to the prospect of Season 8 entering production in the near future.
Nonetheless, before allowing hopes to soar, one should bear in mind a potential pitfall looming over Outlander's journey towards the saga's completion. The 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, which commenced on 2 May, will likely impact Outlander's production schedule should it last longer than a few weeks. Consequently, all Outlander fans should keep their fingers crossed for a swift resolution of the dispute.
Source: Hello! Magazine.