HBO’s Upcoming High Fantasy Series Will Make A 10/10 Universe Even Better

HBO will bring a beloved video game to life in a high-fantasy TV show, and they could make the impeccable universe even better if it’s done right. The genre of high fantasy is going to have a boom in the coming years, if even half of the projects in development come to fruition.

Prime Video is throwing its hat in the ring with multiple big name projects. They are currently developing Fourth Wing, God of War, and The Dark Tower. Netflix has The Witcher, and it is trying to cement its place in high fantasy further with The Forbidden Realms and Magic: The Gathering.

Apple TV could get the edge over those two streamers with Brandon Sanderson’s promising TV adaptation of The Stormlight Archive, which gives the author unprecedented creative control. Those are just a couple titles in development.

However, HBO still holds the title of the best high fantasy producer, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. If Game of Thrones proves anything, it’s that HBO will put money and attention into making a widely popular and successful adaptation. Luckily, the streamer is not only continuing the Game of Thrones franchise with spinoffs, but it has also taken on another major high fantasy project based on a beloved video game.

The world and characters of Baldur’s Gate 3 will come to life at HBO with The Last of Us TV show creator Craig Mazin spearheading the project. Rather than directly adapting the story of the game, it will be a sequel to the game, picking up where Baldur’s Gate 3 ended. If it’s done right, the high fantasy series will make the multimedia franchise even better.

The Baldur’s Gate TV Show Will Give Craig Mazin Incredible Creative Freedom

One of the most complicated parts of making a sequel to Baldur’s Gate 3 is that the game has wildly different endings depending on the choices that players make. There isn’t a single ending to work from. As such, Mazin will be tasked with either canonizing one of the endings, which is a major concern from Baldur’s Gate 3 fans, or creating a new ending. Either choice could isolate fans.

That being said, the multiple different endings gives Mazin a lot of creative freedom as well. Once he chooses a starting point, he has very few constraints. The show won’t be connected to any future games, so he’s not beholden to specific plot points, and the Baldur’s Gate 3 series won’t have a required end point.

This gives him the creative liberty to create new protagonists and adventures with very few restrictions. There are virtually no limitations to his creativity, besides adhering to the rules of D&D. The world of the Forgotten Realms is so vast that he can take the story to plenty of fun places. What’s more, he can pick and choose which characters and monsters to include. If done right, Baldur’s Gate 3’s sequel could easily be HBO’s next big fantasy hit.

The announcement for the TV sequel promised new characters that audiences could invest in, but it also hinted that some familiar characters from Baldur’s Gate 3 would return, too. There’s no guarantee that they will bring back any of the voice actors. However, Samantha Beart, the voice actor for Karlach, teased the possibility at the BAFTA Games Awards (via Gaming Bible).

It wouldn’t be the first time Mazin did this. He brought back video actors from The Last of Us for the TV show. However, even if the creator doesn’t go this route, he still has a vote of confidence from Astarion’s voice actor, Neil Newbon, and Larian Studios founder, Swen Vincke.

Luckily, he won’t have to navigate this very difficult adaptation completely alone. Mazin will have Chris Perkins, former Head of Story at Wizards of the Coast, to help him along the way, as Perkins will serve as a consultant. With Perkins’ expertise and Mazin’s passion for the source material, Baldur’s Gate 3’s sequel TV show could truly be something special.

Systems

Released

August 3, 2023

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Publisher(s)

Larian Studios

Engine

Divinity 4.0

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op

Cross-Platform Play

Full

Cross Save

Full cross-platform progression.