Netflix has already been the home for many ambitious sci-fi TV shows. However, the streaming service is developing what may be its biggest sci-fi series yet. It’s based on the critically acclaimed Three-Body Problem trilogy of books. Furthermore, the duo behind HBO‘s hit Game of Thrones show will be in charge of adapting it. Here’s what we know so far about The Three-Body Problem on Netflix.
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What is The Three-Body Problem novel trilogy?
The Three-Body Problem, the first novel in this sci-fi trilogy, was the brainchild of Chinese writer Liu Cixin. It was originally published in his native country in 2006. It depicts an alternate timeline of the Earth. In the novel, signals are sent out into space in the 1960s to contact alien civilizations. However, they get a message back, indicating that an alien race is coming to invade the Earth.
The first book was highly popular in China, and Tor Books snapped up the English-language rights to the novel. That version, translated by Ken Liu, was published in 2014, and later became the first novel from an Asian author to win the prized Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Liu Cixin continued the story of The Three-Body Problem in two more novels, The Dark Forest and Death’s Head. Both books have been published in the US, with translations by Joel Martinsen and Ken Liu, respectively.
Who is making the Three-Body Problem on Netflix?
In a press release, Netflix announced it has secured the rights to make an English-language series based on the novels. The announcement immediately got a ton of media attention because of two names attached to the project: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The duo signed an exclusive $200 million development deal with Netflix in 2019. They were the co-showrunners of HBO’s hit adult fantasy series Game Of Thrones, based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels from author George R.R. Martin.
While the HBO series was a critical and ratings hit, the series got widely criticized for its eighth and final season in 2019, with many feeling that Benioff and Weiss had failed to live up to Martin’s previous storylines. Others will point out the show’s arguable decline began when the show writers ran out of source material. As long as they stick closely to the three-book trilogy and don’t deviate, this would not be a problem here.
Benioff and Weiss will serve as writers and executive producers of The Three-Body Problem on Netflix. They issued a joint statement stating they were looking forward “to spending the next years of our lives bringing this to life for audiences around the world.”
It’s not just Benioff and Weiss that will be involved in this series. Rian Johnson, the director of Looper, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and the recent Knives Out, is also part of the creative team. In addition, Alexander Woo, who developed the second season of AMC’s horror series The Terror, will be a writer and executive producer.
The production companies Plan B Entertainment (co-founded by actor Brad Pitt) and Primitive Streak (co-founded by actress Rosamund Pike) will be involved in the series. Finally, Liu Cixin and Ken Liu will serve as consulting producers on the show. In his own statement, Cixin stated he had “the greatest respect for and faith in the creative team adapting The Three-Body Problem for television audiences.”
Who will star in the series?
So far, there’s been no casting announcements made for The Three-Body Problem on Netflix.
When will production begin and when will the series drop on Netflix?
It’s very early in the development process, so there’s no word on when shooting begins for the series. It’s also far too early to know when the first season might drop on the service.
That’s all we know so far about The Three-Body Problem on Netflix. We will keep an eye on its development and update this post when more information is revealed.
