Sam Heughan gives update on production of Outlander season 6

Outlander season 5 wraps up this weekend, and season 6 is still a distant dream. With the coronavirus necessitating production shutdowns around the world, filming on the next season of Starz’s time-traveling romance will start later than usual.

Speaking to Refinery29, star Caitriona Balfe (Claire Fraser) revealed that there’s no set date for the show to resume production. “I was due to start filming season 6 of Outlander, but due to the shutdown we have been postponed to an as yet unknown date.”

Meanwhile, star Sam Heughan (Jaime Fraser) confirmed via a tweet that filming was meant to begin earlier this week, but obviously that didn’t happen.

He has that production should resuming in the fall. I think this is the trend we can expect for the television and movie industry across the board as restrictions start to ease.

But while production isn’t fully up and running yet, it doesn’t mean season 6 is at a complete standstill. Starting with this current season of Outlander, Balfe and Heughan both became producers, which means they receive scripts ahead of everyone else in the cast. And according to Heughan, preparations for shooting the season 6 premiere have already begun:

Outlander season 6 will contain 12 episodes, matching the count of the current season. I feel like 12 is a solid number, giving fans just smidge more than the traditional 10, but not overloading us, either.

Each season of Outlander has been based on one book: season 1 was based on Book 1, season 2 on Book 2, and so on. There have been adjustments here and there: season 5, which mostly adapts The Fiery Cross, has also brought us stories from the sixth book, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. It all depends on where the story is going each season. In the case of season 5, I can see why they’ve tinkered with the formula a little bit, especially with Claire’s character.

As for season 6, while filming may not start for a while, the team writing team has been working on it since last year. Executive producer Matthew B. Roberts even tweeted a picture of the sixth book back in September:

They didn’t stop during Halloween, either!

It’s a nonstop process, folks, and given how amazing Outlander turns out every season, we can see why the work never ends. We appreciate you, Outlander writers!

The season 5 finale airs this Sunday, and I think it’s safe to say that we’re not ready for it. Saying goodbye will be difficult, especially knowing that the wait for season 6 will be especially long give the late production start. But it’s okay: there’s always the annual rewatch to look forward to.

You can also enjoy a preview of the Outlander season 5 soundtrack with this rendition of “Clementine” sung by cast members Sophie Skelton (Brianna) and Richard Rankin (Roger). This is the song that played over the credits of the episode “Famous Last Words”:

“This song signifies loss,” Outlander composer Bear McCreary told IndieWire. “The loss of innocence, the loss of a sense of security, and most literally, the loss of Roger’s singing voice. This lullaby represents the type of casual, intimate singing that their family will never again be able to experience. That is why we only hear it in the end credits, as a ghostly reminder of what could have been and shall never be again.”

Indeed, Roger lost his singing voice after being hanged and left for dead. “The producers and I felt strongly that the power of the song came from hearing our two brilliant lead actors sing it,” McCreary continued. “So, I went into the recording studio with Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin and worked with them to create this recording. The performance is very much a character study, so I encouraged them to perform the song as if in their characters from the series. This resulted in a raw, emotional, intimate performance that really sets this song apart. Yes, Sophie and Richard are singing it… but they are channeling Brianna and Roger.”

The Outlander season 5 soundtrack comes out on May 15!

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h/t Yahoo!, Oprah Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter