Director-producer Rian Johnson (‘Knives Out’, ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi’) and writers and executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (‘Game of Thrones’) have teamed up for a new Netflix series based on the science fiction trilogy, ‘The Three-Body Problem’.
That the Hugo Award-winning book and its two sequels are coming to Netflix as a series, with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment company also coming on board.
The English-language adaptation of Liu Cixin’s literary universe also brings executive producer Alexander Woo (The Terror: Infamy, True Blood) on board, with the author himself joining as a consulting producer alongside Ken Liu, who wrote the English translation for ‘The Three-Body Problem’ and ‘Death’s End’.
In a press note, Peter Friedlander, Vice President, Original Series Drama spoke about why the makers chose to adapt the trilogy and the importance of staying true to the story.
“Although it may seem like a familiar premise - the story of humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization - Chinese author Liu Cixin’s ability to interweave science with fiction made his vision of the future and extra-terrestrial contact feel more realistic than any other science fiction I’ve read,” said Friedlander, adding: “At the same time, I was also drawn in by the story of all of humanity vulnerable to the same external threat and how this both unifies and divides humans.”
Author Liu also weighed in, saying: “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. It is a great honor as an author to see this unique sci-fi concept travel and gain fandom across the globe and I am excited for new and existing fans all over the world to discover the story on Netflix.”
Writers and executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss also issued a statement, saying: “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. We look forward to spending the next years of our lives bringing this to life for audiences around the world.”
Liu’s book ‘The Wandering Earth’ was also made into a film last year, going on to become one of China’s highest grossing movies with over $690 million domestically.
