‘Outlander’ Showrunner Ronald D. Moore Teases Season 3, Explains The Differences Between The Book And The Show
Some pretty big changes are ahead for Outlander.
Outlander’s executive producer Ronald D. Moore recently sat down with Variety and teased the changes that are in store for Season 3.
“There’s an extended journey across the Atlantic and then the story eventually goes to Jamaica, the Caribbean and ending up in the New World,” Moore shared. “Season 3 will be as different to Season 2 as Season 2 was to Season 1.”
Season 2 was difficult enough to adapt from the books, and Moore admitted that the dramatic shifts this year were just as challenging.
When it comes to production, Moore explained how his crew had to scout for new locations, cast new characters, and create new costumes and sets. All of the added work meant extra expense and time to get everything shot on schedule.
Although adapting the books to television is challenging, Moore knows that he has to treat every decision with care so as not to upset fans.
“My job as the showrunner is to figure out how to service that audience and also bring in a new audience that has never read these books,” he continued. “And the show, week after week, has to function on both these levels.”
Of course, even if Moore wanted, he cannot include everything from the books. In fact, there is a clear difference between the books and the show and it will only get greater as the series moves forward.
In speaking about the changes from the books, Moore’s main goal is to create a voice that is unique to the show but that still reflects the books.
“You are not capturing Diana’s voice in the show, so much as you are capturing her world and her story. Diana’s voice is there for you on the page. When you read the book, or any book, the author is speaking to you directly,” he explained. “The TV show has a vision, feeling, and vibe that is an entity unto itself. All these component pieces then combine into our voice.”
According to Radio Times, fans can expect some of these changes to appear in the upcoming season.
In addition to the changes in setting, the show will also feature a significant time jump for Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe).
Meanwhile, while Outlander is kicking off production for the new season, Radio Times is reporting that Moore is also busy producing a new drama: Electric Dreams: The World of Philip K. Dick.
The new show is an adaptation of a series of short stories by Dick, who is well known for his work on Blade Runner, Minority Report, and Total Recall.
Joining Moore in producing the series is Jack Thorne, who is coming off the success of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Moore and Thorne have already hired a team of writers to work on the script, including Kelly Marcel (Fifty Shades of Grey), Matthew Graham (Doctor Who, Life on Mars) and Michael Dinner (Masters of Sex, Justified).
Electric Dreams: The World of Philip K. Dick will star Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston.
An official production date for Moore’s new series has not been announced, though it is expected to debut in 2017.
Season 3 of Outlander is also expected to return to Starz in early 2017.
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
