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AsOutlanderSeason 7 Part 2 nears a August 17, 2025, premiere, the end is in sight for Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser in the popular TV adaptation. 15 months have passed since the acclaimed historical drama left off, with the Frasers' honeymoon in 1945 suddenly redirecting its course to the American Revolution in the 1700s. Eight episodes remain before the eighth and final season bids farewell to fans in 2025-26.
Outlanderfans following Diana Gabaldon’s inspirational source novels know that each season adapts a subsequent book. For instance, Season 8 will cover the events in Gabaldon’s ninth novel,Go Tell the Bees That I’m Gone. With Gabaldon currently penning a 10th novel, it stands to reason to translate the story to the screen in some capacity.Once the mainOutlanderTV series concludes, the creators should adapt Gabaldon’s 10th novel as a limited theatrical release or a one-off TV movie.
Based on the novel series, Outlander follows combat nurse Claire Randall from the year 1945, who is mysteriously transported back to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world and sees her life threatened. However, when Claire is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a genuine and passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two different men from two clashing lives.
What Is ‘Outlander’ About?
Ronald D. Moore developedOutlander, ahistorical time-travelfantasy based on Diana Gabaldon’s popular novel series. Premiering on Starz in August 2014,the series concerns Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a Scottish nurse in the 1940s who suddenly finds herself transported from the frontlines of WWII to the mid-1700s. As Claire tries to make sense of her new surroundings, she meets and falls for the rugged and dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).
Each season is designed to cover one or two novels in theOutlanderseries. For instance,Season 1 covers Gabaldon’s first novel,Outlander. Season 2 adapts the second novel,Dragonfly in Amber, and so forth. The first seven novels in the series were published between 1991 and 2009.
The eighth entry,Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, was published in 2014, the same year the TV adaptation debuted. From its inception, the 8th and 9th novels marked the final destination to end the series, with the Frasers facing the American Revolution in the late 1700s in Season 8. Gabaldon’s ninth novel,Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, was published in 2021.Season 8 will presumably end with the ninth novel’s conclusion. However, the author has left the door open to continue the story with the untitled 10th and possibly finalOutlandernovel set for publication between 2025 and 2026.
Diana Gabaldan’s 10th ‘Outlander’ Novel, Explained
In June 2021, Gabaldan toldTown & Countryshe had alreadybegun writing her 10th and potentially finalOutlandernovel. The announcement came shortly after the ninth novel was published, with the author assuring fans that she had been plotting a happy ending for the Frasers. According to Gabaldon:
“I have started writing that, but I’m just poking away at it little by little, because there’s so much interference from the book launch stuff going on that I can’t work with my usual focus. It’s just beginning to bubble, like the tar pits at La Brea, these rising bubbles and there’s a lot of bones underneath.”
Six months later, in May 2022, Gabaldon asked for patience from her fans as she continued to hammer out the 800-page tome, stating onher website:
“Sorry, I don’t know when I will finish Book Ten, much less when it will be published. It takes a long time to write an 800-page novel and also do all the historical and other background research that is required.”
While plot details are scant,Gabaldon teased fans that the 10th novel may or may not be her finalOutlandernovel. She also remained coy about the publication date, assuring fans that the untitled book will be released sometime between now and 2026. Regardless, theStarz network or creator Ronald D. Moore could and should adapt the novel to give fans the closure they deserve.
How the 10th ‘Outlander’ Novel Should Be Adapted
WithOutlanderSeason 8 likely to air in 2025-2026 and Gabaldon’s 10th novel likely published around the same time, it makes logical sense to adapt the Frasers' happy ending to the screen. However, with plans to end the show after Season 8, the best way to do so is to make a TV movie or limited theatrical feature.For precedence, look no further thanThe Last Kingdom, another period-set TV show based on a novel series that concluded with a spin-off movie.
Launched in 2015,The Last Kingdomis a British historicalTV drama adapted from Bernard Cornwell’sStories of Saxonnovel series. The show’s first season covered the first two novels in the series, with Season 2 covering novels three and four, and so on. ByThe Last Kingdom’s fifth and final season, Cornwell’s ninth and 10th novels were translated to the screen.
5 Actors Who Almost Played Jamie or Claire in Outlander
While it is impossible to imagine anyone else playing Jamie and Claire now, these A-listers were once considered to star in Outlander.
One year afterThe Last Kingdomconcluded,Cornwell’s 13th and final novel,War Lord, was adapted as a film. The movie also incorporated story elements from the 12th novel,Sword of Kings, providing an excellent blueprint thatOutlandershould follow. The last thingOutlanderfans want is to be robbed short of witnessing the Frasers' happy ending, which Gabaldon has promised in the upcoming book.
Rather than renewing or extending the series to accommodate the 10th novel, it makes most sense to follow inThe Last Kingdom’s footsteps and make a movie version. Whether it’s amade-for-TV moviecommissioned by Starz or a limited theatrical event, fans would undoubtedly flock to the potential final adventure for the Frasers and see how their story finally ends.
It’s also worth noting that in February 2022, Starz announced plans to produce anOutlanderprequel series titledOutlander: Blood of My Blood. The prequel is based on Gabaldon’s firstOutlandernovel and will concentrate on Jamie’s parents, Brian and Ellen Fraser. If the network plans to adapt the prequel, the producers must also adapt Gabaldon’s upcoming 10th and potentially finalOutlandernovel.Outlanderis available to stream on Netflix.
