As you may have heard, it was recently announced that the prestigious HBO network will be adapting the 2023 Game of the Year, the legendary Baldur’s Gate 3, into a new live-action television series that will serve as a direct sequel to the events of the game.
So far, it has been confirmed that Craig Mazin, author and showrunner of The Last of Us and Chernobyl, has been chosen as showrunner for Baldur’s Gate. Furthermore, although the official cast list has not yet been announced, we know that another big name has been added to the creative team, a name that comes directly from the world of Dungeons & Dragons…
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a role-playing video game developed by Larian Studios, set in the Dungeons & Dragons setting called Forgotten Realms: after escaping from a Mind Flayer ship, you and your companions try to find a solution to eliminate a parasitic tadpole before you yourselves turn into Mind Flayers. As you try to reach Baldur’s Gate, secrets and backstories are revealed, as well as a conspiracy linked to a dangerous cult.
What made Baldur’s Gate 3 so beloved by many was the different outcomes it offered based on actions and dialogue choices, the cast’s performances, and above all, the gameplay reminiscent of true D&D. Although Mazin has proven himself capable of creating a good video game adaptation, as seen in The Last of Us, Baldur’s Gate 3 is different in terms of gameplay and storytelling, so it would make sense to turn to someone with experience in the genre and have them on the team: that someone is none other than Chris Perkins, former head of storytelling at Wizards of the Coast and now a member of Critical Role’s Darrington Press.
In recent days, Chris Perkins has been chosen as a consultant for HBO’s Baldur’s Gate, and will collaborate with Craig Mazin on the creation of the series (which, we remind you, will be a direct sequel to the video game Baldur’s Gate 3, revealing the fate of many fan-favorite characters and introducing new protagonists). Perkins worked with Wizards of the Coast in 1997 and was actively involved in Dungeons & Dragons, serving as senior producer, story manager, lead story designer for 2016’s Curse of Strahd, and more. Knowing that Hasbro is also involved in the adaptation, and assuming that HBO has historically been trustworthy regardless, it’s safe to say that, for now, the Baldur’s Gate TV series is in good hands.
This does not mean, however, that fans do not have their fair share of doubts: as mentioned, HBO’s Baldur’s Gate TV series will be set after the events of the 2023 video game. Therefore, due to the multiple endings of Baldur’s Gate 3, it is unclear which ending the story will follow. In some ways, this is a similar problem to the one faced by the second season of Fallout due to the many multiple endings of the Fallout: New Vegas video game.
Mazin expressed his passion for Baldur’s Gate 3, stating that he had devoted “almost 1,000 hours” to the game and praising Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke and his team for bringing this story to life. Unfortunately, Larian Studios is not involved in the upcoming Baldur’s Gate series. Vincke released a statement on social media, saying he is eager to see what direction Craig and his team will take, both creatively and narratively. But when asked if any of Larian’s writers would be collaborating on the series, he replied, “Not that I know of. But Craig reached out to us to ask if he could come to the studio to talk to us. From the conversation we had, I think he’s a really big fan, which gives me hope.”
In short, HBO has everything it takes to do big things with Baldur’s Gate…even without the direct involvement of Larian Studios: we’ll see!
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