Fans of mind-bending science fiction can rejoice, as Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are bringing the same to Netflix with their new series 3 Body Problem.
The project, an adaptation of Chinese author Cixin Liu’s bestselling book trilogy The Three-Body Problem, sees the duo swap Westeros for (not so) plain old Earth, working with co-creator Alexander Woo, a writer best known for his work on True Blood.
The team, working with director Derek Tsang, will try to bring Liu’s massively ambitious and mind-bending tale of humanity’s past, present, and future to the small screen, with a cast of actors familiar to fans of Benioff and Weiss’ work in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world.
Things you need to know before watching 3 Body Problem
Where to watch 3 Body Problem?
3 Body Problem is currently available exclusively on Netflix. The series consists of eight episodes released on Thursday, March 21.
In addition to the series, fans interested in delving deeper into the secrets of each episode can listen to the show’s accompanying podcast, hosted by scientist and educator Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock and TV fanatic Jason Concepcion.
In each installment, the duo will share information about the real science that inspired Liu’s high-concept world.
Watch the Trailer of 3 Body Problem
The first full trailer for 3 Body Problem debuted online in early 2024, just a few months before the series’ official premiere date. In it, we are drawn into a mystery involving deceased scientists, an ominous countdown, and an answer that may be related to virtual reality, space, time, and aliens.
Before this full trailer, we were treated to a smaller teaser released in June 2023.
We saw elements of a stylized past and a dark and foreboding present… or was it all a high-tech simulation?
What is 3 Body Problem all about? – Plot and science behind it
The Three-Body Problem trilogy, originally written in Chinese by Liu Cixin, is an epic science fiction story centered on humanity’s first encounter with an advanced alien civilization.
Liu’s story has undergone few changes and tweaks to appeal to a wider Western audience. However, Netflix assured that the entire adaptation process was carried out with the author’s full permission.
It was ultimately up to Benioff, Weiss, True Blood screenwriter Woo, and director Tsang to try to condense this massive story into eight episodes of compelling television. According to the streamer’s official synopsis, the series will explore big ideas in science, humanity, and technology.
“The story begins in 1960s China when a young woman makes a fateful decision that reverberates across space and time into the present day,” says Netflix. “When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel, a tight-knit group of brilliant scientists must join forces with an unflinching detective to stop humanity’s greatest threat.
“3 Body Problem is an epic story that redefines sci-fi drama with its layered mysteries and story of human connection.”
Tsang reportedly read Liu’s book in both English and its original Chinese to get a better understanding of how to tell the story. Fans of the book will notice some changes, such as character changes, alternate locations, chronological adjustments, and minor narrative additions.
Perhaps most notable is that the series will be set primarily in the United Kingdom rather than China, but the show’s creators insist that these changes were made to make the series as accessible as possible.
“We have a tremendous love and respect for the books,” explained Benioff. “You can’t devote every waking moment of your life for years on end to adapt a piece of work that you don’t love. So it’s very important to us that the show stands on its own two legs and work for people who have read the books — and for people who haven’t read the books.”
Benioff and Weiss are experts in bringing sprawling works of literature to life, having transformed Game of Thrones from a fantasy book series to one of television’s most successful shows, so Liu’s Three Body Problem was in good hands.
3 Body Problem: Cast
3 Body Problem features a diverse cast that includes both familiar faces and newcomers to the scene.
Benedict Wong, who stars in Doctor Strange, plays Da Shi, an intelligence officer tasked with unraveling the series’ mysterious events. Meanwhile, Rosalind Chao and newcomer Zine Tseng will portray astrophysics expert Ye Wenjie at different points in time. When Ye’s life is torn apart during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, she makes a decision that has an unexpected impact on space and time that will be felt for centuries to come.
In addition, the show will feature the Oxford Five, a group of young scientists that include Jess Hong as theoretical physicist genius Jin Cheng, Jovan Adepo as physics researcher Saul Durand, Eiza González as nanotech expert Auggie Salazar, Game of Thrones star John Bradley as the abrasive physics boffin Jack Rooney, and Alex Sharpe as sixth form teacher Will Downing.
Former Game of Thrones star Sir Jonathan Pryce will appear as billionaire oil tycoon Mike Evans, and Liam Cunningham will play intelligence operation leader Wade.
Marlo Kelly, Sea Shimooka, Saamer Usmani, and Eve Ridley will also appear throughout the show’s eight-episode arc.
Regarding the show’s diverse cast, Benioff stated: “This is very much a story about humanity and humanity’s struggle with a seemingly unsolvable mystery that snowballs into a full-on existential crisis so we wanted to represent, as much as possible, all of humanity.
“We wanted people from all over the world. We tried to make this a very diverse, international cast to represent the idea that this isn’t just one country’s struggle; it’s a global struggle to survive.”