Responsible for projects such as Henry Cavill’s The Witcher and the poorly received adaptation of Cowboy Bebop helmed by John Cho, Netflix is now reportedly aiming to capitalize on the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. Fans have taken to Reddit on Dec. 14 to voice their displeasure at the prospect.
The initial story broke a few months ago via Giant Freakin Robot, and although no further news has been forthcoming, it’s fair to say that fans are uneasy at the thought of Netflix handling the property. This is an important distinction to make since, like other franchises such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age, but more pertinently Fallout, a live-action representation of a beloved video game setting is generally sought after. The same can be said for Baldur’s Gate, just not with this company.
Netflix has become home to many live-action adaptations of books, video games, and anime. The results have leaned more towards failure than success. The Witcher hit excellent viewing numbers, although a lot of this can be attributed to the excellent casting of Geralt and company. Writers flagrantly disregarded the source material in multiple instances, and now they’ve lost their star man to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth. One Piece is undoubtedly the most revered project in recent memory, again largely down to its cast, although it stands as a lonely beacon of light amongst a mire pit.
Irrespective of what Netflix would propose for a story, the Baldur’s Gate community stands largely opposed to the thought. “Hell no,” said one Reddit user. “After what they did to Witcher? Nope. Double Nope.” The voice cast for the latest entry in the Baldur’s Gate franchise is held in incredibly high regard, beloved for a level of quality that helped Neil Newbon win Best Performance at The Game Awards this year. Any attempt to give these particular characters to other actors would be seen as a betrayal by Larian Studios.
Many fans are already content with the content they have and may enjoy in the coming months. “Just record more D&D games with the VA cast,” suggested another user. “That’s more than enough and terribly entertaining. No need to go further.” This references a collaboration with YouTube channel High Rollers, who ran a one-shot campaign with many of the primary cast. Not to mention, official expansions to Baldur’s Gate 3 appear to be on the cards thanks to the game’s overwhelmingly positive reception.
It is difficult to see this scenario ending well, given Netflix’s track record. Personally speaking, I would be curious to see Paramount pick up the license to set up potential crossovers with its cast from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Then again, Halo went down like a lead balloon, so perhaps this Pandora’s Box is best left unopened.
