Summary
Three-Body Problemis being adapted into a new movie. The 2008 Liu Cixin sci-fi novel, which follows multiple timelines of Earth’s interactions with extraterrestrials, is the first installment in theRemembrance of Earth’s Pasttrilogy. Most recently, the novel has been adapted into a Netflix show created by Alexander Woo withGame of Thrones' David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.3 Body Problemseason 2and season 3 have already been renewed, allowing the show to adapt the complete trilogy.
PerDeadline, a new adaptation of theThree-Body Problemnovel was announced at the Shanghai International Film Festival by Enlight Media chairman Wang Changtian. The movie, which is currently in pre-production, is set to be directed by Zhang Yimou. The Chinese filmmaker is a three-time Oscar nominee for his moviesHero,Ju Dou, andRaise the Red Lantern, though he is also known for the moviesHouse of Flying DaggersandThe Great Wall, the latter of which was his English-language debut.
Does The World Need Another Three-Body Problem Right Now?
Netflix’s Adaptation Could Crowd Out The Zhang Yimou Movie
One issue that could plague this new movie is the fact thatthe novel has been adapted many times. While a previous movie adaptation helmed by Fanfan Zhang was partially filmed before being scrapped, it has appeared in a variety of other mediums. In addition toNetflix’s3 Body Problem, since 2021 the story has been adapted into a Tencent Comics digital comic, episodes of the narrative podcastStories From Among the Stars, a Ximalaya radio drama, and a 2023 Chinese TV show that premiered on Peacock in February 2024.
As such, the3 Body Problemendingwill be quite familiar to viewers in the modern day, whichmay deter plot-oriented audiences from the project. However, the presence of respected director Zhang Yimou could help turn the tide. While the director had a run of Rotten Tomatoes splats between 2009’sA Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shopand 2016’sThe Great Wall, he has only directed three Rotten movies out of 21 movies that have received official Tomatometer scores, and his initial hot streak has since returned. Below, see the scores for his projects since 2016:
94%
80%
100%
75%
81%
76%
69%
However, theThree-Body Problemwill probably have its fate determined by the Netflix show, which was a global success and may see one of its upcoming seasons premiering around the same time as the movie. While the prominence of the show could lead to a groundswell of interest in a new adaptation, it could also reduce the amount of people who want another version so soon. Ultimately, it remains to be seen when the movie premieres and how it performs, but its future seems up in the air at the time of writing.
3 Body Problem
Cast
3 Body Problem is a Netflix original series from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with Alexander Woo. Based on the novel of the same name by Liu Cixin, 3 Body Problem centers on a detective who joins forces with a group of scientists after an unknown force begins killing scientists around the world.
