Outlander boss details writer Diana Gabaldon's reaction to major prequel change
Outlander showrunner Matthew B. Roberts has revealed what author Diana Gabaldon thought about his major change to her source material after he imagined Claire Fraser's (played by Caitríona Balfe) parents hadn't died in the car crash, and instead accidentally travelled through time as many fans had speculated.
The change is quite a shift from the Outlander novels, with author Gabaldon previously saying Claire's parents simply died in a car crash when she was five-years-old and there was nothing more to the story.
Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, Roberts shared Gabaldon's reaction to the big Outlander: Blood of My Blood change after the panel dropped hints about a possible Claire and parent reunion.
He said: 'Well, we wouldn't be sitting here if she thought otherwise. She said to me it was a good idea. She didn't want to explore it herself, but at least she said, 'Go for it.' I thanked her and I went for it.'
He continued: 'But she's so on board. She actually wrote on the show, so you're going to see her episode too. So, I think she's fully committed to the show.'
Gabaldon not only wrote episode nine but she and Roberts co-wrote the season one finale of Blood of My Blood.
Additionally, much like Outlander, Gabaldon serves as a consulting producer on Blood of My Blood.
Roberts went on detail how the writers were really struggling with the show, which initially just focused on Jamie Fraser's (Sam Heughan) parents Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) and Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy).
He admitted: 'I really couldn't figure out a way to tell that story more than what it is in the book, in the sense it's just they get married and move to Lallybroch and have kids. One of them is Jamie.
'I was kind of a little struggling with it and I did the what if game.'
Roberts imagined what if Claire's parents hadn't died and lived after the accident, before running his idea past fellow executive producer Maril Davis.
He explained how Davis 'got a look on her face' and he knew they had 'got something' with the Outlander prequel.
The showrunner elaborated: 'So we went back and started working on it and just not show what if they lived. What if they were integral to having Jamie and Claire meet?
'And so that's when it really took off and we started to really explore. We talked to Starz and Sony and they really liked the idea.'
Roberts also promised Easter eggs and nuggets for Outlander fans, while those new to the universe would have plenty to get their teeth stuck into.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood premieres on Starz on August 8 and on Prime Video via MGM+ on August 9
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