'Outlander: Blood of My Blood' casts young Murtagh, Ned, MacKenzie brothers

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Starz has announced new cast members for the Outlander prequel, Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

The network said in a press release Monday that Rory Alexander, Sam Retford, Séamus McLean Ross and Conor MacNeill have joined the upcoming series.

Alexander will play a young Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, portrayed by Duncan LaCroix in the original Outlander.

Retford has been cast as a headstrong young Dougal MacKenzie, with Ross as his shrewd older brother Colum MacKenzie. Graham McTavish and Gary Lewis originated the roles.

MacNeill will play a young Ned Gowan, originally portrayed by Bill Paterson.

"We are thrilled to expand our season one cast with some well-known characters from the Outlander universe. We're so excited to welcome Rory, Sam, Séamus and Conor to the MacKenzie and Fraser clans and to explore the young journeys of these fan-favorite characters," Blood of My Blood showrunner and executive producer Matthew B. Roberts said.

Previously announced cast members include Jeremy Irvine as Henry Beauchamp, Hermione Corfield as Julia Moriston, Jamie Roy as Brian Fraser, Harriet Slater as Ellen MacKenzie and Tony Curran as Lord Lovat.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood centers on the lives and relationships of Ellen (Slater) and Brian (Roy), the parents of Outlander's Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), and Julia (Corfield) and Henry (Irvine), the parents of Claire (Caitríona Balfe ).

The show will follow two time periods: Jamie's parents in the early 18th century Scottish Highlands and Claire's parents in World War I England.

The original Outlander is based on the Diana Gabaldon book series and will return for an eighth and final season this year.