Everything fans should know about Outlander season 6 - including release date and cast

Outlander’s much-anticipated new season is in the works, which means Jamie and Claire Fraser could be back on our screens sooner than we think. Fans have still not recovered from Outlander season five’s emotional finale, and there are already many theories circling about what might happen during the new episodes. Here’s everything we know so far, including the time-travelling show’s release date, returning cast members and what the plot may have in store. When will Outlander season six be released? We know for definite that season six is happening, as Starz confirmed two years ago that Outlander would return to our screens. There have recently been some updates on when the cast may start filming for the series. Scots actor Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie, hinted that the team will return to production again soon. And there has even been a call for trainees to work behind the scenes in a variety of roles while the series is filmed. Speaking on This Morning in November, Heughan said filming had been due to start in May but it had been delayed, presumably due to the coronavirus pandemic. The actor revealed in March that the cast had been given their first scripts, yet Covid-19 stopped everything in its tracks. However, fans will be excited to know that the cast have had fittings and have now read through their scripts. People won’t have to experience a Droughtlander forever, as it is rumoured filming will begin in Scotland in January 2021. How many episodes will there be? Like season five, it has been confirmed that season six of Outlander will feature 12 episodes. Which cast members are returning? Most of Outlander’s main stars will be returning for season six of the show. Of course, our main man Sam Heughan will be back as Jamie Fraser and leading lady Caitriona Balfe will return as Claire Randall Fraser. Scottish actor Richard Rankin will also play Roger Wakefield again, while Sophie Skelton is back as Brianna Randall. One person who probably won’t be returning to the show - unless he is featured in flashbacks - is Duncan Lacroix, after his character Murtagh Fraser was killed in battle in season five. What will happen in season six? No official plot details have yet been released but the latest season is expected to loosely follow Diana Gabaldon’s sixth book in her series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Yet, that doesn’t mean the plot will stick closely to the events in the book, as some episodes in season five strayed away from the source material. Executive producer of the show, Ronald Moore, told Entertainment Weekly that the team has stuck to a book a season so far - but that could change in the future. He said: “Should we keep it a book a season? We've done that up until now. But we've talked about splitting books, and we've talked about combining them. "We want to be free in the writers' room to pick and choose and do what feels most comfortable that year." We perhaps could be seeing a bigger divergence from the books, since the TV show is now more popular with fans. What we do know about season six is that it will focus on the aftermath of season five, which focused on Jamie Fraser being drawn into the American Revolution. Brianna also found out she had a half-brother called William, so fans will be wondering if she will finally get to meet him. Claire also experienced a lot of trauma during season five, after she was beaten and sexually assaulted by a group of men - will the ordeal have lasting effects on her which materialise in season six? One of the major season five twists was that Jamie Fraser’s family are not the only time travellers in the universe, which could be explored more in the subsequent series. Will there be a seventh season? Season six hasn’t even been aired yet, but of course fans are wondering if they will be able to get their Outlander fix for years to come. President and CEO of Starz, Jeffrey Hirsch, told Deadline that he is open to a season seven: "As long as the fans continue to crave the story, we'll continue to have Outlander on the air. We are constantly talking to our partners at Sony and the show continues.” You can buy the Outlander book series here This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article.