Production for Season 3 of Outlander is currently underway and Sam Heughan is already teasing fans about what’s ahead for Jamie and Claire (Caitriona Balfe).
The Outlander star just revealed that filming isn’t going to wrap up until May of 2017, which means Doughtlander will last a bit longer this year. Despite the sad news, Heughan added that Season 3 is “very exciting.”
What can fans expect to unfold when Outlander returns to Starz next year?
Parent Herald is reporting that a complex plot line is the primary reason why Outlander will be in production longer than previous years.
The hit series normally premieres in the spring, but now fans will have to wait until early summer to see the new season.
In addition to revealing the production schedule, Heughan also dished on an exciting top secret location.
“We’re doing 11 months,” Heughan shared. “We finish end of May. And we’ll be finishing in South Africa, which is pretty awesome.”
Heughan added that the long wait will be worth it for a season that is “very strong” and “very exciting.”
The new season is based on Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling novel, Voyager .
The story picks up immediately after the Battle of Culloden and follows Jamie and Claire living separate lives for some twenty years before reuniting.
‘Outlander’s’ Sam Heughan’s back in Barbour with new Season 3 details https://t.co/wvkdUzCbTz
— Outlander Headquarters (@OutlanderHQ) September 26, 2016
In speaking about the complexity of the new season, iTechPost reports that Outlander showrunner Ronald D. Moore is looking forward to the challenges ahead .
“It’s exciting creatively; it’s very hard in terms of the production… You are doing a whole new series with every season. So that’s very difficult. Scouting new locations, building new sets, bringing in new cast members, new costumes, different eras,” he stated. “It increases the expense, it increases the time necessary to prep everything, to shoot everything… So it makes it more difficult and it also takes more mental energy having to crack new problems.”
While fans have a long wait ahead of them, Heughan is happy to work with Balfe once again and is looking forward to Jamie and Claire’s epic reunion .
“He has to go through a lot before him and Claire are reunited,” he shared. “So I guess being reunited with his true love, his wife.”
Apart from the main love story, Season 3 will also introduce Lord John Grey , a pivotal character in the books.
According to iTechPost , David Berry is playing the all important role of Lord John and the first photos of Berry in action have already leaked online .
Fans worried that Berry might not be the best choice for the character given his physical appearance.
However, Gabaldon took to Twitter to confirm that she has seen Berry in action and that the actor has done an amazing job so far.
“I have, yes! They’re amazingly good,” Gabaldon wrote in reference to Berry’s scenes with Jamie.
Meanwhile, Game N Guide is reporting that a romance might be brewing between Heughan and Balfe .
Rumors indicate that the actors have been sneaking away for some alone time while production is in full swing.
Of course, the on-screen couple has long fought rumors of a real-life romance. To date, they have both denied any sort of romance outside of work.
New interview with @SamHeughan I’m amazed how hard you work and still so generous and kind to your fans. Thank you ?? pic.twitter.com/RxbnY5cX7u
— Angela ????? (@Angela1303) September 27, 2016
That could change in the coming years, especially as their character’s love story continues to unfold, but a romance has yet to take hold.
Instead, it looks like Heughan and Balfe are just really good friends that enjoy their onscreen chemistry.
Even if the two never get together in real life, fans can expect them to reunite when Outlander returns next year.
Starz has yet to announce an official premiere date for Season 3 of Outlander , but we will let you know as soon as it is announced.
[Featured Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images]