This year I attended all four crazy days of the New York Comic-Con. Though I missed the big highlight panels like The Walking Dead, I made sure I saw as many awesome panels and learned as much as I can about upcoming shows and fandoms.
The Starz panel was my highest priority this Comic-Con. Outlander fans have been starved for any bit of news concerning the production of the series and I just had to see what goodies they had in store for the panel.
**Warning, this article contains spoilers**
Black Sails is a gritty adaptation of Treasure Island. We got to see the first six minutes of the first episode and for any of you who thought this was just going to be like Pirates of the Caribbean…you are wrong. It’s suspenseful, exciting and the pirates are real ruthless barbarians. The show, which will premiere sometime in January, has gotten so much great feedback that Starz has already approved a second season.
I didn’t really learn much about DaVinci’s Demons during this panel besides the fact that DaVinci will be going to Latin America and spending time with the Mayans. Also for those of you who might not like the show because of the obscurity surrounding DaVinci, the show’s creator David S. Goyer explained that the show is a “Historical Fantasy” and is not meant to portray an accurate portrait of the Renaissance genius.
The production of Starz newest original series adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s book series Outlander only began filming on October 7, 2013, giving them less than a week to compile footage for the panel.
Though they were unable to give us a trailer or even a short clip, behind-the-scenes footage was shown of the actors training in sword fighting, horseback riding and Gaelic speech. The last bit of the footage showed Sam Heughan, with ginger hair, and Caitriona Balfe together giving an update on filming letting fans know they are hard at work.
Heughan looks GREAT as Jamie Fraser and seeing him and Balfe finally together was just so wonderful. Without even being in character they both just radiate Jamie and Claire and look so lovely together. When Heughan called Balfe “Sassenach” I just melted along with every woman in the audience.
The only other sneak peek Starz was able to show was a slide show of concept art. The video below is of the panel interview and concept art commentated by Moore.
Now for some Outlander facts…
The first season will be the whole of book one. Since Ronald D. Moore’s wife is a huge fan of the book series, he has to be as accurate and true to the books as possible. Things will undoubtedly be cut from the television series but since they are making a full 16-episode season, you can be sure that they will include as much of the book as they possibly can. There’s no talk of a second season but production has only just begun.
So far one addition has been made and already filmed for the show. The opening sequence will be a sort of flashback of Claire as a combat nurse in the field during WWII. Moore wanted to give the audience a clear profile of Claire right from the beginning while keeping it exciting and fast pace. I think this is a great sign for things to come from the series and shows that Moore and his team of writers really know the characters from Gabaldon’s world and will do their best to portray these beloved characters as they are known to readers.
Black Jack’s role has been expanded a bit for the television show. There will also be flashbacks of Claire with Frank to show the viewer how much Claire loves Frank and wants to go back to him. The show will be told from the view point of Claire so everything and everyone we meet will be through her eyes. I think it’s really important to show the relationship Claire has with her first husband because it was a very difficult choice for her to make to stay with Jamie.
Finally, a casting update was shared: Roderick Gilkison will play Hamish MacKenzie, Lotte Verbeek will play Geillis Duncan, and James Fleet will portray Rev. Wakefield.
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