Beloved Dungeons and Dragons video game series Baldur's Gate is getting an HBO Max TV adaptation from one of the biggest heavyweights in the world of game adaptations, with Craig Mazin of The Last of Us signed on as writer and showrunner.
"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," Mazin says in a statement (via Deadline). "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."
Baldur's Gate is not just a popular game series, with the most recent Baldur's Gate 3 landing as a smash hit among fans. It's also one of the most iconic locations in the world of D&D's Forgotten Realms, which is the setting of numerous novels including, most notably, the tales of legendary Drow ranger Drizz't Do'Urden, perhaps the most beloved character in D&D fiction.
Mazin, meanwhile, is a film and TV industry veteran going back to the early 2000s, but his stardom shot up considerably in 2019 with HBO's highly acclaimed Chernobyl series, which Mazin wrote and created. His name being attached to such a beloved IP should give plans plenty of assurance that HBO's adaptation will be handled with extreme care.
Notably, the TV series will serve as a direct sequel to Baldur's Gate 3, rather than adapt any one game in the series. That means Mazin will largely have free reign over the story, unlike The Last of Us where he's adapting a story that's already been told in video games. It'll be interesting to see where he takes such a beloved story and characters as they journey into realms unknown.
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