Outlander discussion: How much will Sam Heughan’s new movie help the series?

At the moment, there isn’t as much discussion as usual when it comes to Outlander, but for a pretty good reason. Filming for the fourth season is over, filming for the fifth season doesn’t start until February, and to go along with all of this Starz isn’t premiering the new season of the show until we get around to November.

With that, much of the conversation has understandably shifted to some other projects, including Sam Heughan’s upcoming movie The Spy Who Dumped Me. It’s with that in mind that we do come bearing the following question: How much could the movie end up helping the show? Will it prove to be an asset?

In many ways, we certainly think so given that the movie, which also stars Kate McKinnon, Justin Theroux, and Mila Kunis, appeals to an audience who may not be altogether familiar with Outlander at this point. The comparison that we would draw is back when Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are able to bring new viewers in to Sherlock from some of their other work, or when Lee Pace was able to do the same thing with Halt and Catch Fire.

Typically, we don’t see movie roles as the sort of thing that instantly doubles a show’s ratings. They don’t tend to turn a show struggling into one that is an instant hit. Movies and television shows are very different mediums, and there are many movie viewers who simply do not want to sit down and watch thirty-plus episodes of a show.

Yet, even if you can just get 1-2% of movie viewers to get on board a show because of seeing Sam on the big screen, it’s a huge win for a network like Starz. Even if the network gets a thousand new subscribers for Outlander because people really love Sam in this movie, it’s a big win for them. That helps to sustain the series just as this movie will help to land Heughan even more exciting roles in the future. With some smart scheduling, he should be able to do both movies and television as long as he wants to — though there are some movie roles that would be more challenging than others.

If you missed it…

Check out our video below for some of the talk on the Sam – James Bond “rumors” that are coming up. We recorded this yesterday with a warning that the British press would start posting some unsubstantiated claims about him being the next Bond despite there being very little factual evidence. Now, there’s (fittingly) a report claiming that bookies are pegging him for the role. If’s fun to think about, but that’s all it is for now.

Related – More news on the Spy Who Dumped Me New York screening!

Do you think that The Spy Who Dumped Me will prove to be a tremendous asset to Outlander moving forward? Share right away in the comments!

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