You asked for more Baldur’s Gate 3, and you’re getting it–one way or another.
HBO is officially developing Baldur’s Gate, a TV adaptation of Baldur’s Gate 3 set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. The series has current The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin attached as its writer, creator, executive producer, and showrunner.
Unlike The Last of Us, however, this series won’t be a direct adaptation of Baldur’s Gate 3. Instead, the series will continue the game’s story, telling a new tale set after the game’s events as characters–old and new–deal with the consequences of its ending. Or should we say, endings?
Baldur’s Gate series set at HBO, set after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3
It’s official: Baldur’s Gate is getting a TV adaptation. More specifically, Baldur’s Gate 3 is getting a TV adaptation, set after the events of its lengthy and extensive story campaign. According to a Deadline report, the series will be ongoing, and continue with different stories set within the world of Dungeons & Dragons. While the series will draw extensively from Baldur’s Gate 3 as its source material, it will not lean on the first two games in the series quite as much, as they are not considered official source material.
The TV series is set to feature existing characters from Baldur’s Gate 3 and new ones, with returning characters from Baldur’s Gate 3 described as being “incredibly powerful” following the events of the main story, and are likely to “meddle, helping or hindering the new heroes.” The series will co-exist alongside Netflix’s The Forgotten Realms TV series, which also builds on the Dungeons & Dragons universe.
The series is set to be showrunner Craig Mazin’s follow-up to The Last of Us, which is now expected to end with Season 3. According to the report, Mazin is also looking to reach out to popular Baldur’s Gate 3 voice actors “with ideas for them to participate in the TV adaptation,” just as he did with the actors from Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us games.
The series will be executive produced by Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor and Hasbro Entertainment’s Gabriel Marano. Chris Perkins, the former longtime Head of Story at Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, will serve as consultant. However, according to The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley, Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios will not be involved in the series’ production.
Mazin is said to be a long-time Dungeons & Dragons fan who also serves as a Dungeon Master, and has been playing the game weekly for 15 years. Additionally, he has also completed Baldur’s Gate 3 on Honour Mode, which is in and of itself a challenging achievement. Mazin said to Deadline:
“After putting nearly 1000 hours into the incredible world of Baldur’s Gate 3, it is a dream come true to be able to continue the story that Larian and Wizards of The Coast created. I am a devoted fan of D&D and the brilliant way that Swen Vincke and his gifted team adapted it. I can’t wait to help bring Baldur’s Gate and all of its incredible characters to life with as much respect and love as we can, and I’m deeply grateful to Gabe Marano and his team at Hasbro for entrusting me with this incredibly important property.”
The Baldur’s Gate series does not have a release date yet, but is set to premiere on HBO. Game developer Larian Studios is now hard at work on its next game, Divinity.
