Outlander Star Caitríona Balfe Confirms Season 8 Will Be Delayed
Filming has been halted due to the Hollywood writers' strike. Does that mean we might be in for another season of Droughtlander?
Outlander fans worldwide are rejoicing as the time-hopping series premieres the first episode of Season 7 on Starz on 16 June. The first half of the season will be released on Fridays for eight weeks, continuing the story of Claire and Jamie Fraser; this time, the action is set against the backdrop of the American Revolution.
However, there's a fly in the ointment: the show's future beyond these eight episodes is up in the air.
With the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, production on several shows has been put on hold. Fans of Stranger Things, Yellowjackets, Virgin River, and other series will have to wait longer than expected for the next seasons of their beloved shows. And Outlander may, unfortunately, be joining the list now.
Season 8 of the Starz flagship show is set to be the final one, and filming for it was supposed to begin in the coming months. But the writers' strike has put that date on hold indefinitely, according to Outlander star Caitríona Balfe.
‘We had a date. And now with the writers' strike, who knows? So we have to just wait and see,’ Caitríona told Radio Times when asked about the start of filming for the final season.
Does that mean that Droughtlander, as fans have dubbed the long wait between seasons of the romantic period drama, is looming? According to Balfe, it's too early to panic yet.
‘That's obviously a big thing that's going on at the moment Stateside and that may change things. But you know, it's too early to start speculating about that,’ the Outlander star said.
Even with the delay in filming, the creators still have a considerable amount of time to put the final season into production. Season 7 will consist of 16 episodes, divided into two parts. While Part 1 premieres in June 2023, the release date for Part 2 hasn't been announced yet. It is widely expected to debut in 2024, leaving at least two years for the production of Season 8.
On the other hand, there's no telling when the writers and studios might reach an agreement. In 2007, the writers' strike lasted 100 days, and the current one might go on for even longer, so Droughtland may still very well rear its ugly head next year. In the meantime, let's hope a fair deal is reached soon and enjoy the new episodes of our favourite show.
Source: Radio Times.