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A Baldur's Gate 3 TV show is officially happening at HBO. Excitingly, the show is hailing from The Last of Us co-showrunner Craig Mazin, so we can trust it's in good hands, and it's even set to continue the RPG's story. Here's hoping we get updates on all our favorite companions...
While the show is still fresh off its release announcement, there are still some confirmed details to sift through. Below, we've pulled together everything there is to know about the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show, along with some of our informed speculation. That means you can get up to speed at a glance on one of the most intriguing of all the upcoming video game movies and shows. Plus, our guide is spoiler-free, so you can read on whether you've played Baldur's Gate 3 or not.
This has the potential to be one of the best of the upcoming TV shows on our radar, so it's well worth getting up to date. So, to join the adventure to the Forgotten Realms, gather your party and head below.
Baldur's Gate 3 TV show release date speculation: when could it come out?
At the moment, there is no release date for the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show.
As showrunner Craig Mazin currently has his hands full with The Last of Us season 3, we can expect the Baldur's Gate show to move slowly until that third (and likely final) season is released. If that show comes out in 2027, we can realistically expect to see Baldur's Gate 3 in 2028 at the earliest.
Baldur's Gate 3 TV show cast: who could be in the show?
There are currently no cast members attached to the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show. The initial announcement indicated that there would be a mixture of new and returning characters, so we could expect to see the likes of companions Shadowheart (a cleric), Astarion (a vampire rogue), Gale (a wizard), Lae'zel (a githyanki warrior), Karlach (a tiefling barbarian), and Wyll (a warlock), the adventurers who join you on your journey in the game.
We don't know whether any of the game actors will definitely return, though Deadline's initial report says that showrunner Craig Mazin "plans to reach out to voice cast members Baldur's Gate 3 with ideas for them to participate in the TV adaptation, if possible."
For the moment, we also don't know if that means actors could be playing their own characters or not, but Astarion actor Neil Newbon has previously said he'd love to play his character again. "To be honest with you, I'd love to play Astarion again, somehow," he shared. "I would love to do that. That would be awesome. Live-action or game, I don't care. Advert for grape juice, I don't know, whatever."
Baldur's Gate 3 TV show plot
The plot of the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show is going to pick up after the game, which is a fairly intriguing idea. The game has multiple endings, both for the main narrative as well as each individual character, including your own. So, that means the show is probably going to have to make some choices canon, an idea that's already proving controversial with fans.
"The Baldur's Gate TV series will be a continuation to the games, telling a story that takes place immediately after the events of Baldur's Gate 3, as the characters – old and new – are dealing with the ramifications of the events in the third game," says Deadline in its report.
The game follows a group of adventurers – your character and the companions you choose to recruit along the way – on a journey to remove a Mindflayer tadpole from their head after being abducted by an Illithid ship. Along the way, they uncover a major conspiracy, battle dangerous foes, and resolve their own individual quests. It's an epic, sprawling tale, so it might be hard to translate all of that context to a TV show continuation.
Interestingly, the report adds that the show is "designed to be ongoing and continue with different kinds of stories within the sprawling world of the game." So, we could be looking at an MCU-style extended universe in time.
It's also said to draw on the beginning and ending of the game, but not on the first two games – and it will take characters who don't start out very powerful and track their ascent across their adventures, in typical D&D fashion.
We'll also likely see the companions and other familiar faces again in the show. "The new protagonists are bound to run into beloved characters from Baldur's Gate 3 – some of them heroes, some of them villains, some of them literally devils – who occupy the same world. Now incredibly powerful, they will meddle, helping or hindering the new heroes," says Deadline.
Of course, it's hard to predict what this might mean without knowing which plot points and character endings the show will choose to make canon. For now, expect to see the likes of companions Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, Karlach, Wyll, and Lae'zel again – though we'll have to keep speculating about what they'll be getting up to in the show.
"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," showrunner Craig Mazin said in a statement. "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."
Is Larian involved in the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show?
No, Larian, the developer of Baldur's Gate 3, is not involved in the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show. "Not to my knowledge," Larian boss Swen Vincke wrote on Twitter when asked if Larian writers were consulting on the show. "But Craig [Mazin, showrunner] 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 truely is a big fan which gives me hope."
Not everyone at Larian is as zen, though, with publishing boss Michael Douse taking to Twitter to quote a Tweet sharing news of the TV show being in development with: "Imma bout to crash out on main"
But, he did share a more level-headed take, too. "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," he wrote. "Only hope is that they get both the credit deserved & the characters are represented at the same level as the game.
"I genuinely don't think anyone can trump our writers.
"Our stories are built by fierce camaraderie and resolve. I have watched them write and write and write and, through respect for audience & material, come up with some of the finest shit I have ever played. I hope TV allows for the same thoroughness.
"Don't abandon hope, but do expect the world. That's the job." Count us in as cautiously optimistic, too...
Baldur's Gate 3 TV show trailer: when will we get one?
With no release date and the show only just announced, we can expect to wait a long time for a trailer. Once cameras roll, we'll have a better idea of when the first footage could arrive, but, for the moment, we'd predict late 2027 or early 2028 as the earliest we could see a trailer for the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show.
While you wait for the Baldur's Gate 3 TV show, you can fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best shows on HBO Max. You can also read our Baldur's Gate 3 review to get the lowdown on why the game is so special.
