BALDUR'S GATE TV Series At HBO Will Continue the Game’s Story With Craig Mazin Leading the Charge
HBO is heading back into the world of epic fantasy and this time it’s rolling initiative. A Baldur’s Gate TV series is officially in development, and it’s coming from Craig Mazin, the co-creator behind The Last of Us.
Rather than retelling the story in the game, this adaptation is doing something more exciting. It’s picking up right where Baldur’s Gate 3 leaves off and pushing the story forward.
The series is being developed at HBO and is based on the hit RPG from Larian Studios, set within the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Mazin is attached to create, write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner, with Hasbro Entertainment backing the project.
Executive producers also include Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, and Gabriel Marano, with Wizards of the Coast Head of Story Chris Perkins consulting.
Unlike The Last of Us, which closely followed the narrative of its games, Baldur’s Gate is being designed as a true sequel. The story takes place immediately after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, exploring the fallout of that game’s world-shaking decisions. Familiar faces will return, new characters will rise, and the consequences of god-level power will ripple across the Forgotten Realms.
Mazin is fully embedded in this world. He’s completed Baldur’s Gate 3 on its brutal Honor Mode, and he’s been a weekly Dungeon Master for the past 15 years. That passion is what ultimately pulled him toward adapting the game.
“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.”
Because there’s no new Baldur’s Gate game currently in development, Mazin has the freedom to chart his own course. That makes this series fundamentally different from The Last of Us, whose endpoint is already defined.
In fact, HBO’s post-apocalyptic hit is expected to wrap up with its upcoming third season, making Baldur’s Gate Mazin’s next long-term project at the network. It also marks his return to HBO following the Emmy-winning Chernobyl.
The plan is for Baldur’s Gate to be ongoing, with room to tell multiple kinds of stories across the sprawling fantasy setting. While the series won’t directly adapt the first two games, it will draw heavily from Baldur’s Gate 3, from its opening moments to its many possible endings. Shared D&D lore will still play a role, giving longtime fans plenty to latch onto.
At its core, the show will embrace one of D&D’s most beloved traditions. It will follow new, relatively powerless characters at the start of their journey and track how they grow through danger, chaos, and hard-earned victories.
Along the way, they’ll cross paths with legendary figures from Baldur’s Gate 3. Some will be heroes. Some will be villains. Some will be literal devils. Now immensely powerful, these characters won’t be the main focus, but they will absolutely interfere.
Mazin is also interested in bringing parts of the game’s voice cast into the live-action series, schedules permitting. He’s done this before on The Last of Us, where several original actors appeared, including Merle Dandridge reprising her role as Marlene. With his deal now closed, Mazin is just beginning to explore those possibilities while finishing prep on The Last of Us Season 3.
HBO is clearly confident in the creative direction. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Craig Mazin on Baldur’s Gate,” Francesca Orsi, EVP and Head of HBO Drama Programming said.
“His deep and long-standing passion for the source material paired with his remarkable talent for building immersive worlds filled with rich, compelling characters promises groundbreaking results.”
The series will also exist alongside another live-action D&D project. Hasbro Entertainment has a separate Forgotten Realms series in development at Netflix, with Shawn Levy producing. The shared setting is massive enough to support multiple shows without overlap, opening the door for a full fantasy TV ecosystem.
“The fans have been eagerly awaiting an adaptation of Baldur’s Gate, and we could not ask for better partners than HBO and the incomparable Craig Mazin to build this world with,” Marano said.
Originally launched in 1998, Baldur’s Gate became known for its mature themes, political intrigue, and character-driven storytelling. Baldur’s Gate 3 took that legacy to another level, amassing over 15 million players, winning more than 34 industry awards, and becoming the first game ever to sweep all five major Game of the Year awards.
If HBO and Mazin pull this off, Baldur’s Gate isn’t just shaping up to be another video game adaptation. It could be the next must-watch fantasy series that keeps rolling natural 20s.
Source: Deadline