Starz has picked up an additional season of the Golden Globe®-nominated STARZ Original series Outlander from executive producer Ronald D. Moore and Sony Pictures Television. Matthew B. Roberts will continue as showrunner. Adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international bestselling book, Starz has committed to this 12-episode order for Outlander, assuring the hit time-travel saga will run a seventh season.
Season seven of the hit series will be based on the seventh of the eight books in the "Outlander" series, entitled "An Echo in the Bone."
“Starz is committed to investing in unapologetic, bold premium storytelling that amplifies diverse voices and shines a spotlight on women in front of and behind the camera through our #TakeTheLead initiative,” said Christina Davis, president of Original Programming for Starz. “The hit series Outlander embodies everything about our initiative including a powerful female lead character and an amazing team of storytellers. We look forward to following the adventures of Claire and Jamie in America during the Revolution as well as more time travel during this next season.”
“We are so excited Starz has given us the opportunity to continue the epic Outlander journey,” said Roberts. “We can’t wait to get into the writer’s room and start breaking 'Echo in the Bone' and look forward to giving the fans another season of this exhilarating story.”
Moore, Roberts, Maril Davis, Toni Graphia, Andy Harries and Jim Kohlberg will executive produce. Caitriona Balfe (Claire Randall Fraser), Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser), Sophie Skelton (Brianna Randall) and Richard Rankin (Roger Wakefield), who are currently filming the sixth season of Outlander in Scotland, will return for the seventh season.
Heughan (Bloodshot, The Spy Who Dumped Me) can currently be seen in Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham on Sunday nights at 8:00PM ET/PT on STARZ. The eight-episode docuseries follows Heughan and Outlander star Graham McTavish (Preacher, The Hobbit trilogy) on an epic adventure through Scotland, as they explore their heritage while meeting an incredible collection of people who truly showcase what it means to be Scottish.
“Men in Kilts has given fans desperate for the end of Droughtlander relief by featuring Outlander clips within the travel docuseries. The series premiere episode was the second-highest series premiere viewed on the STARZ app1 and the #1 most social premium cable series across all live, new primetime episodes on February 14. Men in Kilts was a Top 3 series season premiere on STARZ since the beginning of 20202 with Outlander taking the #1 spot for regular premium scripted series among women viewers in 2020.3
The critically-acclaimed fifth season of Outlander drew a series high 6.7 million multiplatform viewers per episode, while averaging 5.7 million multiplatform viewers for all five seasons. Outlander has been a Top 5-rated scripted series on cable with women each of the last four years.5
The Outlander television series is inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series that has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, with all of the books gracing the New York Times best-seller list. The Outlander television series has become a worldwide success with audiences, spanning the genres of history, science fiction, romance and adventure in one amazing tale.
Outlander is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Left Bank Pictures and Story Mining & Supply Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television.
Starz recently launched its #TakeTheLead initiative, the company’s comprehensive effort to deepen its existing commitment to narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences.
Differences bubble up between PepsiCo and Coca-Cola on diversity programs
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion โฆ could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More