For all of the Outlander fans who swooned over Lord John Grey throughout the seasons, it seems like a spinoff show for the character fell through the cracks.
Actor David Berry, who has portrayed the beloved fictional character since season 3, revealed that he was ready to go for a spinoff series, but it never came to fruition.
“I haven’t spoken about this. But I think that since the series is over, I feel a bit more comfortable talking about it,” he told Deadline in an interview published on Wednesday, November 20. “There was a time in season 4 when we were going to shoot our Lord John series; it had been written — well, there was a writer attached and I’d signed a contract to do a series.”
“It went down to the wire of whether or not it would get approved by the network, but ultimately, at the time, it was decided that that wasn’t the right fit, or wasn’t the right thing for them. I was prepared to do it, and I’m still prepared to do it,” David, 40, added.
His response gave some fans a mere glimmer of hope, however, the fate of reviving the Lord John spinoff idea is still unknown.
“Matt [B. Roberts] and Maril [Davis], executive producers on Outlander, have also expressed a lot of interest in doing it,” David said. “So I guess it really depends on finding a network for it and audience interest in moving forward and doing a spinoff.”
“But definitely, it was something that was on the cards at one point,” the Canada native revealed. “The fact that it didn’t go ahead was very disappointing at the time. But whether or not it will go ahead again, that’s really in the hands of the audiences, and whether or not there is still an interest in seeing more from this character.”
We speak for everyone when we say we would love a Lord John spinoff, to explore more of his character and his backstory. While we’re still holding out hope for a Lord John spinoff, another Outlander spinoff has officially been greenlit.
A prequel titled Outlander: Blood of My Blood will follow the stories of Jamie and Claire’s parents.
“We’re thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples,” showrunner Matthew B. Roberts said in a statement. “The origins of their relationships explore universal themes that transcend time periods and we’re so excited for fans to discover and fall in love with these characters and their love stories the way they have with Claire and Jamie.”
The prequel will star Harriet Slater as Ellen Mackenzie, Jamie Roy as Brian Fraser, parents, Hermione Corfield as Julia Moriston and Jeremy Irvine as Henry Beauchamp. Outlander author Diana Gabaldon serves as a consulting producer on the project.
Photos from the set of the series have already been released. The show will depict Jamie’s parents’ story in 18th-century Scotland, while Claire’s parents will be navigating life in World War I-era England.
