1st awesome promotional key art (poster) and release date for Ron D. Moore's Outlander!

Starz has just released the first awesome promotional key art for its upcoming time-traveling series Outlander from executive producer Ronald D. Moore, as well as finally providing us with the date for the eagerly anticipated series' premiere!

Here’s Starz’s announcement: 

Starz announced today that its highly anticipated new original series “Outlander,” adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books and executive produced by Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) will debut Saturday, August 9th at 9pm ET/PT. The sixteen-episode first season is currently shooting on location in Scotland. For more information, go to the official Outlander Facebook Page and follow @Outlander_Starz on Twitter and Instagram. Join the conversation with #Outlander and #STARZ.

Starz also released the official image of the key art with the tagline, “What if your future was the past?” The poster depicts Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a married British combat nurse from 1945 who mysteriously falls back in time to 1743 Scotland, where she is torn between her husband Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), a Scottish warrior who comes to her rescue. The image represents Claire's physical and emotional journey. At the start of the series, she is a woman who has been transported into the past, but she's reaching back and trying to stay connected to the life and husband that are now beyond her reach. Starz collaborated with The Refinery and photographer Frank Ockenfels 3 to create the key art which was shot on location in the Scottish highlands.

The “Outlander” series spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure in one epic tale. It follows Claire Randall as she navigates the hidden dangers of 18th century Scotland, an unknown world where her freedom and very life are at risk. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Diana Gabaldon’s seven-book series has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and has graced the New York Times best-seller list six times. The eighth installment of the “Outlander” series titled “Written in My Own Heart’s Blood” will be released June 10th, 2014.

The first two episodes of the series are written by Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore and directed by John Dahl (“Dexter,” “Breaking Bad,” “Justified”). “Outlander” is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television.

 In addition to Caitriona Balfe (Claire), Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) and Tobias Menzies (Frank Randall/Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall), the cast if “Outlander” also includes Graham McTavish (Dougal MacKenzie), Gary Lewis (Colum MacKenzie), Lotte Verbeek (Geillis Duncan), Duncan Lacroix (Murtagh FitzGibbons Fraser). 

(via Starz)