Netflix Adapts Famous Chinese Novel ‘Three Body Problem’ into a Series

Sep 3, 2020 | China, NEWS, POP, TECH, US

Netflix has gotten the right to produce Liu Cixin’s popular science fiction work The Three Body Problem into a series. The project will involve bigtime names in the industry like Game of Thrones’ David Benioff and D.B. Weiss as executive producers, and director Rian Johnson from The Last Jedi.

Netflix recently announced what might be their biggest project of the year – an English-language adaptation of the famous Chinese science fiction trilogy “The Three Body Problem.” 

The series, also referred to as the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy was written by Liu Cixin, who bagged the 2015 Hugo Award for the English translation of the book. Since his big win, Liu’s works have been a subject of interest for screen adaptation. One of his works, the Wandering Earth, even became the third-highest earning film in China grossing a staggering $674 million.

About The Three Body Problem

The work was first serialized in China 14 years ago. The Three Body Problem, and its sequels The Dark Forest, and Death’s End tells a captivating tale of humanity’s encounter with the Trisolarans, which is an alien race. After it was published in the US in 2014, the first book sold more than 8 million copies worldwide and attracted high profile fans which include President Barack Obama. 

Fans of Liu love his inventive imagination and ability to wildly detail scientific extrapolation, all while covering human history. Liu brilliantly depicts characters as relateable people who just found themselves in the middle of a terrifying circumstance, with a hint of craziness and humor.

A nine-part animated series inspired by Liu Cixin’s acclaimed sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem 

Netflix’s Adaptation

The show will be written and executive produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the showrunners behind Game of Thrones. The two have been reported to have signed a $200 million-dollar deal with Netflix. The two will also work with Alexander Woo, who also wrote the HBO drama series True Blood.

“Liu Cixin’s trilogy is the most ambitious science-fiction series we’ve read, taking readers on a journey from the 1960s until the end of time, from life on our pale blue dot to the distant fringes of the universe,” said Weiss and Benioff in a statement. The two also shared that they look forward to spending the next years of their life bringing this amazing project to life for audiences around the world. 

The show will be directed by Rian Johnson, the same visionary behind The Last Jedi, and Ram Bergman, his producing partner, will also be on board as one of the executive producers. The author, together with his American translator Ken Liu, will also be involved as consulting producers.

Netflix’s Adaptation

The show will be written and executive produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the showrunners behind Game of Thrones. The two have been reported to have signed a $200 million-dollar deal with Netflix. The two will also work with Alexander Woo, who also wrote the HBO drama series True Blood.

“Liu Cixin’s trilogy is the most ambitious science-fiction series we’ve read, taking readers on a journey from the 1960s until the end of time, from life on our pale blue dot to the distant fringes of the universe,” said Weiss and Benioff in a statement. The two also shared that they look forward to spending the next years of their life bringing this amazing project to life for audiences around the world. 

The show will be directed by Rian Johnson, the same visionary behind The Last Jedi, and Ram Bergman, his producing partner, will also be on board as one of the executive producers. The author, together with his American translator Ken Liu, will also be involved as consulting producers.

According to the multi-awarded author, he has the greatest respect and faith for the team that will be adapting his series for television audiences.

“I set out to tell a story that transcends time and the confines of nations, cultures and races; one that compels us to consider the fate of humankind as a whole,” he shared, adding that it is a great honor as an author to see his unique sci-fi concept travel and gain fans across the world. He is also excited about new and existing fandom that would discover the gripping story on Netflix.

How Fans Feel

The hashtag “Netflix will adapt Three Body Problem” has been viewed over 200 million times on Weibo, with more than 40,000 people joining the discussion. While the project is exciting, it has also caused complicated feelings among fans and film experts.  

“After watching the final season of Game of Thrones, I am anxious about the abilities of these scriptwriters. Please respect the original stories in the books,” said one user.  

Some fans are also excited about how Netflix will adapt to the show.  

“We have to admit that US production teams operate at a higher-level when shooting science fiction works. Both their equipment and technology are more advanced, so I am looking forward to watching the adapted-version of The Three-Body Problem,” commented one user.  

The Three Body Problem is part of Netflix’s strategy to conquer the Asian market. With tons of shows produced in South Korea and Japan, Netflix is surely going to do its best to elevate every single aspect of the series.