The trend of video games to TV adaptations has claimed another property with a Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show now in the works at HBO.
The beloved property of Baldur’s Gate 3, which won countless awards in 2023, has now been added to the list as the latest in a trend of video game adaptations. The show itself will reportedly be based on the many, many endings from the original games, though we still don’t know whether it will feature only one ending or explore all of them. The co-creator of The Last of Us games, Craig Mazin, has joined as creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer.
The adaptation has no connection to the current game or its development, giving Mazin’s creative influence free rein to interpret and produce the show. Which is confirmed to include actual characters from the game in the show’s story, along with unknown new characters. The show will supposedly be part of Netflix’s Dungeons & Dragons series, The Forgotten Realms.
Alongside Mazin are names like Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, and Gabriel Marano, who are attached as executive producers alongside Mazin. Marano will represent Hasbro’s interests in the show, as Hasbro owns the franchise, having acquired Wizards of the Coast in 1999. Chris Perkins, who is the current Head of Story at Wizards of the Coast, will also join the show’s ranks as a series consultant.
After the news first broke out, Baldur’s Gate 3 producer Michael Douse had a few choice words about the show. Writing on X, he said, “Except that we made it popular enough for it to be referred to as Baldur’s Gate 3,” clearly showing his discontent over the news. After that and a couple of replies to fan comments, he wrote, “I’ve spent the last 8 to 10 years of my life with the writers & creators of Baldur’s Gate 3 and they’re the most incredible storytellers & creators in the space. Only hope is that they get both the credit deserved & the characters are represented at the same level as the game.”
Other officials at Larian have also expressed shock at not knowing about the Baldur’s Gate 3 adaptation, with even Larian’s CEO, Swen Vincke, being asked whether any writers had been confirmed as consultants for the show. Vincke replied, “Not to my knowledge. But Craig did reach out to ask if he could come over to the studio to speak with us. From the conversation we had, I think he truly is a big fan which gives me hope.”
This lack of involvement by a video game’s creator is a distinct trend in the world of adaptations. Bosses like Todd Howard and Neil Druckmann both served as close consultants and producers for their game properties of Fallout and The Last of Us. Douse himself is still posting about the news on his main account while also reposting and responding to the humorous replies of disgruntled fans.
Vincke, in a first and final response post, said, “We worked incredibly hard on making Baldur’s Gate 3 worthy of its legacy. Its characters and narratives are the result of many teams working together, and I think I can speak for them all in saying that they’ll think this is cool and hope that what comes next will enjoy the same level of passion.”
and went on to say, “The endings of BG3 were created so they could serve as narrative soil for new adventures. There are plenty of directions they could go. I’m eager to find out which ones Craig and his team will pick. He’s reached out for a chat so we’ll have the opportunity to tell him our thoughts.”
As we still know very little about the show, fans can only ruminate and hope their beloved Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t get a bad adaptation, like many other video game movies and shows before it.
