Baldur’s Gate is officially getting a TV series adaptation, and it’s likely going to follow the same tonal direction as the movies and shows mentioned below. Baldur’s Gate itself is a video game adaptation of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game. Although it started in 1998, the series broke out massively thanks to Baldur’s Gate 3, which became a critical darling and best-seller when it launched in 2023.
HBO is currently in the process of adapting the game for a show, courtesy of Craig Mazin, co-creator of The Last of Us (2023). The series will take place after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, which (on top of a lot of potential side quests and adventures) largely focused on the spread of the mind flayers, a parasitic psychic species that helped inspire some of the creatures in Stranger Things (2016). Far more mature than lightweight fantasy like The NeverEnding Story (1984), but not quite as grim as Game of Thrones (2011), Baldur’s Gate will likely have a lot in common with several subversive riffs on the fantasy genre.
If you want to get a feeling of what the new Baldur’s Gate show will be like, consider checking out these movies and shows, which range from D&D adaptations to enduring fantasy classics.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is probably one of the best examples of what the Baldur’s Gate show could look like, given its similar subject matter and self-aware but authentic approach to fantasy. The Chris Pine-led fantasy action-adventure film follows Pine’s bard and a band of unlikely companions as they deal with their own personal issues and confront an ancient evil.
Designed entirely around matching the tone of the role-playing games that inspired both it and Baldur’s Gate, Honor Among Thieves is very much a riff on the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) style of action-comedy hybrid by way of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. While Baldur’s Gate can get a bit steamier and darker than this PG-13 blockbuster, they're likely to be similar in spirit— something they quietly share with the far more campy and lackluster sibling, Dungeons & Dragons (2000).
Secret Level (2024-Present)
A good showcase of the kind of grandiose lore and fantasy action that can come to life in a fantasy adaptation, Secret Level’s episode, inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, is a good example of the kind of action expected in a Baldur’s Gate show. Similar to Love, Death, & Robots (2019), the animated anthology crafts short windows into different settings, largely based on outside sci-fi and fantasy material.
In the case of Prime Video’s show, Secret Level adapts different video games for each short story. The first episode, “Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle,” introduces a small band of heroes who are on a quest to bring a cursed man to an ancient dragon. In terms of raw visuals and magical elements, Secret Level provides a look at some of the characters (like gnomes, orcs, and wraiths) that appear in the world of Baldur’s Gate, as well as the types of danger that could await our heroes.
The Princess Bride (1987)
While this classic fantasy film might be a lot tamer in terms of actual on-screen content than anything in Baldur’s Gate, don’t be surprised if the same sense of adventure and romance in The Princess Bride appears in the series adaptation. Similar to its contemporaries like Legend (1985) and Ladyhawke (1985), The Princess Bride has a certain full-throated authenticity in its worldbuilding and execution, with a commitment to the tropes and energy of its genre.
The self-aware meta-breaking elements of Rob Reiner’s best film give it the kind of comedic edge that also helps it fit alongside darker versions of the material. The adventures of Westley and Buttercup are likely a better fantasy pick if you’re going to be watching with younger audiences. Still, there’s a timeless and ageless quality to the adventure that will likely be replicated in kind by the Baldur’s Gate show.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The first entry in the Academy Award-winning trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, is a great marker to keep in mind when looking at the scale that HBO could bring to Baldur’s Gate. The Lord of the Rings films feature some of cinema’s most epic battles, with plenty of iconic imagery from each of the films pervading into the larger pop culture osmosis.
That kind of sheer worldbuilding and scope is going to be hard to top, but Baldur’s Gate will likely take a stab at it. While The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) is also a fairly apt comparison point in terms of the unseen gods and mystical forces at play in the world, The Fellowship of the Ring is likely a more similar vantage point for Baldur’s Gate, focusing on the dynamics of the unlikely allies who must come together to save the world.
Castlevania (2017-2021)
The darker horror elements of Baldur’s Gate will likely have a lot in common with the dark fantasy realms of Castlevania. As another video game adaptation, Castlevania pushed its animated format to the limit by depicting a grisly, vicious take on the fantasy epic by splitting a good amount of time between the complex villains, compelling heroes, and the absolutely vicious violence.
While it’s likely darker than the kind of vampires that Baldur’s Gate could explore, the show will tread in the same type of fantasy horror elements if it brings in fan-favorite party member Astarion from the game. Another good comparison point is AMC’s Interview with a Vampire (2022), which has a solid blend of the character-driven vampire drama that can happen in Baldur’s Gate. Still, Castlevania’s more action-driven approach will likely be more reflective of how Baldur’s Gate tackles that material, albeit likely not as grisly.
Krull (1983)
A campy throwback to what fantasy films used to be, Krull’s overarching tone and visual style will likely have a lot in common with Baldur’s Gate. A fantasy adventure following a prince and his newfound allies as they venture on a quest to rescue his bride from a nefarious force, Krull is a broad adventure that adds a bit more magical touches to the conventions that The Princess Bride also tackled.
Executed with a level of bold-faced commitment that Baldur’s Gate could and should match, Krull is a cheesy but fun romp. While audiences hoping for more dramatic plots or complex characters might want to look elsewhere, there’s a lot of fun in Krull, which speaks to the thrill of adventure that Baldur’s Gate accomplishes as a game and likely wants to recreate in the show.
The Legend of Vox Machina (2022-Present)
Likely the closest thing Baldur’s Gate will have in a tonal counterpart, Prime Video’s animated The Legend of Vox Machina is a mature, subversive, and deeply passionate fantasy adventure for the ages. Inspired by the hit series Critical Role, The Legend of Vox Machina dramatizes the RPG campaign that makes up the plot of the actual play webseries, giving it a shared fundamental core with the Baldur’s Gate show that is coming down the pipeline.
The characters are rich, deceptively funny, and realistically sexual in a way few fantasy adaptations can get right. Baldur’s Gate does something similar, laying the foundation for the two shows to be very similar. Along with its companion series, The Mighty Nein (2025), The Legend of Vox Machina is likely a strong precursor for what the Baldur’s Gate show will be like.
