Everything we know about HBO's 'Baldur's Gate' show
A TV series based on Larian Studios' award-winning Baldur's Gate 3 is in development at HBO.
As reported by Deadline, The Last of Us co-creator and showrunner Craig Mazin will be helming the series, further cementing his role as HBO's go-to lead for acclaimed video game adaptations.
"After putting nearly 1,000 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," Mazin said in a statement to press. "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."
Since the show has only just entered development, details on its plot and cast are currently sparse. However, here's everything we do know about the upcoming show, from its plot to a possible release date.
What will HBO's Baldur's Gate series be about?
Baldur's Gate 3 takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a Dungeons & Dragons setting. Like Dungeons & Dragons, players can build their own characters to set out on an adventure. But it's dice roll mechanics to move the game along. Between player's choices and virtual dice rolls, there's a wide variety of results for how the game's story will unfold. That makes creating a near one-to-one adaptation like Mazin's The Last of Us series seemingly impossible.
Instead of going down that route, HBO's series will take place immediately after Baldur's Gate 3, picking up with the game's characters, like Astarion, Karlach, Gale, and Shadowheart. However, with different endings possible in the game, HBO and Mazin have yet to announce which ending — or endings? — they'll be engaging with.
Who is in HBO's Baldur's Gate show?
No cast has been announced for the Baldur's Gate series yet. However, with The Last of Us, Mazin proved a fan of bringing the source game's actors into TV adaptations. Both Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker appeared in The Last of Us TV show, though in different roles than those they played in the game. Plus, Merle Dandridge and Jeffrey Wright reprised their roles as Marlene and Isaac in The Last of Us. So there's a chance that certain Baldur's Gate 3 actors, like Jennifer English, Neil Newbon, Rim Downie, and Matthew Mercer, may make an appearance, either as cameos or in the roles they originated.
When is HBO's Baldur's Gate show coming out?
HBO has not yet announced when the Baldur's Gate series would air.
However, if the show follows a similar path to The Last of Us, we could expect the series in about three years. Development on The Last of Us was officially announced in March of 2020, and Season 1 premiered in January of 2023. Of course, every show is different, so there's no guarantee that it will take Baldur's Gate the same amount of time. But hey, think of all the playthroughs you can knock out between now and the show's eventual release.
Topics HBO Video Games
Belen Edwards is an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable. She covers movies and TV with a focus on fantasy and science fiction, adaptations, animation, and more nerdy goodness. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association, as well as a Tomatometer-approved critic.
