HBO is developing a television series based on the popular video game franchise Baldur's Gate, with Craig Mazin attached as creator, writer, executive producer and showrunner. Mazin is best known as co-creator of HBO's The Last of Us, widely praised for its adaptation of the video game. The project is a collaboration with Hasbro Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast, the subsidiary behind the Dungeons & Dragons universe.
Unlike The Last of Us, which retold the story of the PlayStation games, the Baldur's Gate series will be a continuation, picking up immediately after the events of Baldur's Gate 3. It will explore the ramifications of that game's story for both returning and new characters. Mazin has completed the game on 'honour mode' and is a long-time Dungeons & Dragons fan, having played as a Dungeon Master weekly for 15 years.
Mazin stated: '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... I am a devoted fan of D&D and the brilliant way that Swen Vincke and his gifted team adapted it.' Hasbro's Gabriel Marano and former Wizards of the Coast story head Chris Perkins are also involved as executive producer and consultant, respectively.
The series is designed to be ongoing, with potential for different stories within the sprawling D&D world. It will draw deeply from Baldur's Gate 3 but not directly from the first two games, though common D&D lore will be used. New protagonists will interact with existing characters from the game, including heroes, villains and devils.
Francesca Orsi, HBO's EVP of Drama Programming, commented: 'We're thrilled to continue our partnership with Craig Mazin on Baldur's Gate. His deep and long-standing passion for the source material paired with his remarkable talent for building immersive worlds promises groundbreaking results.' The series will coexist with a separate live-action The Forgotten Realms series set up at Netflix.
