3 Body Problem (TV series)
21 languages
Tools
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the American TV series. For the Chinese TV series, see Three-Body.
| 3 Body Problem | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy dramaScience fiction |
| Created by | David Benioff & D. B. Weiss & Alexander Woo |
| Based on | The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu |
| Starring | Jovan AdepoJohn BradleyRosalind ChaoLiam CunninghamEiza GonzálezJess HongMarlo KellyAlex SharpSea ShimookaZine TsengSaamer UsmaniBenedict WongJonathan Pryce |
| Music by | Ramin Djawadi |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages | English Chinese |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Rosamund PikeRobie UniackeQi Lin (zh)Jilong ZhaoLauren MaXiaosong GaoBrad PittJeremy KleinerDede GardnerRian JohnsonRam BergmanNena RodrigueBernadette CaulfieldAlexander WooDavid BenioffD. B. Weiss |
| Producers | Steve KullbackHameed Shaukat |
| Cinematography | Jonathan FreemanRichard DonnellyPJ Dillon |
| Editors | Katie WeilandSimon Smith |
| Running time | 44–63 minutes |
| Production companies | BLBThe Three Body UniverseT-StreetPlan B EntertainmentPrimitive Streak |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | March 21, 2024 |
3 Body Problem is an American science fiction television series created by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss and Alexander Woo, loosely based on the Hugo Award-winning Chinese novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. It is the second live-action adaptation after the 2023 Chinese television series. It premiered on Netflix on March 21, 2024.
Premise[edit]
Ye Wenjie is an astrophysicist who sees her father beaten to death during a struggle session in the Chinese Cultural Revolution. She is conscripted by the military because of her scientific background and is sent to a secret military base in a remote region. Her fateful decision at the base echoes across space and time to a group of scientists in the present day, forcing them to face humanity’s greatest threat.
Cast and characters[edit]
Main[edit]
- Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand (based on the character of Luo Ji)[1]
- John Bradley as Jack Rooney (based on the character of Hu Wen)[1]
- Rosalind Chao as adult Ye Wenjie[1]
- Liam Cunningham as Thomas Wade[1]
- Eiza González as Augustina “Auggie” Salazar (based on the character of Wang Miao)[1]
- Jess Hong as Jin Cheng (based on the characters of Wang Miao and Cheng Xin)[1]
- Marlo Kelly as Tatiana Haas[1]
- Alex Sharp as Will Downing (based on the character of Yun Tianming)[1]
- Sea Shimooka as Sophon[1]
- Zine Tseng as teenage Ye Wenjie[1]
- Saamer Usmani as Prithviraj “Raj” Varma (based on the character of Zhang Beihai)[1]
- Benedict Wong as Clarence “Da” Shi (based on the character of Shi Qiang/Da Shi)[2][1]
- Jonathan Pryce as Mike Evans[1]
Recurring[edit]
- Eve Ridley as young Vera Ye/Follower[1]
- Ben Schnetzer as young Mike Evans[1]
- John Dagleish as Felix
- Vedette Lim as Vera Ye[1]
- Gerard Monaco as Collins
- Adrian Edmondson as Denys Porlock
- CCH Pounder as Secretary-General of the United Nations Lillian Joseph
- Lan Xiya as Tang Hongjing (Red Guard)
- Josh Brener as Sebastian Kent
Guest[edit]
- Mark Gatiss as Isaac Newton
- Reece Shearsmith as Alan Turing
- Conleth Hill as Pope Gregory XIII
- Naoko Mori as Marie Curie
- Kevin Eldon as Sir Thomas More
- Jason Forbes as Omar Khayyam
- Jim Howick as Harry
- Nitin Ganatra as Ranjit Varma
- Dustin Demri-Burns as Ted
- Tom Wu as Count of The West
- Guy Burnet as Rufus
- Jake Tapper as himself
- Stacy Abalogun as Thelma[3]
Episodes[edit]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Countdown” | Derek Tsang | David Benioff & D. B. Weiss & Alexander Woo | March 21, 2024 | |
| 1960s China timeline: In the midst of the Cultural Revolution, Ye Wenjie witnesses her father’s humiliation and death in a struggle session. At a work camp, she’s given a copy of Silent Spring. It is discovered, but she does not betray the one who gave it to her. After nearly dying in prison, she is taken to a station with a large radio telescope dish to serve the rest of her sentence. She figures out its purpose before she is told.Modern timeline: A group of researchers talk about how modern work has stopped making sense and that several scientists are committing suicide. Clarence “Da” Shi, an investigator working for the Strategic Intelligence Agency, is trying to link multiple scientist suicides and discovers a gaming headset device that they all have in common. Augustina “Auggie” Salazar starts seeing a countdown timer in front of her eyes all the time. An unknown woman tells her not to “let it get to zero” and to watch the sky at midnight the next day. She brings a friend to look with her and witnesses all the stars flashing in the same pattern as her countdown timer. | |||||
| 2 | “Red Coast” | Derek Tsang | Rose Cartwright | March 21, 2024 | |
| 1960s/70s China Timeline: Ye Wenjie continues to work at the China SETI site. She realizes that the sun can amplify signals, and explains it to a colleague who steals the idea and presents it to management. The idea is forbidden, but she does it anyway. While surveying for another site, she meets Mike Evans, a radical environmentalist, and confronts her father’s killer. Later, when she gets a return signal warning her not to answer or else her planet will be destroyed, she answers anyway and promises to help.Modern timeline: Auggie’s countdown continues. After a successful demonstration of her nanofibers cutting a diamond, she shuts down the project and the countdown stops. Using the gaming headset, Jin Cheng completes Level 1 of the 3 Body video game and shows Jack, but he is not authorized to use her copy. Later, a headset is mysteriously delivered to his home. Will Downing tells Jack he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and is going to die. | |||||
| 3 | “Destroyer of Worlds” | Andrew Stanton | Alexander Woo | March 21, 2024 | |
| Modern timeline: Jack is an extremely wealthy entrepreneur and the researchers gather at his house. Auggie discovers his gaming headset of the game and tries it, facing the same rejection he did. She extracts a promise from him and Jin Cheng to stop playing, but they continue. When Auggie powers up her nanofiber project, the countdown returns with just over a minute to zero until she shuts it down again. Within the game, Jack and Jin play together and move rapidly through Levels 2 and 3, and it is shown that Mike Evans oversees the recruitment through the game. He is also shown conversing with a box about humankind. Level 4 takes place in the real world, and Jack and Jin Cheng meet the mysterious woman who doesn’t record on video. In the game they are shown the alien departure for Earth. Jack asks to leave and is allowed to, but at home he is murdered by the mystery woman. Despite the murder happening in a glass room under his surveillance, Da Shi does not see it happen. | |||||
| 4 | “Our Lord” | Minkie Spiro | Madhuri Shekar | March 21, 2024 | |
| 1985 North Atlantic: Mike Evans introduces Ye Wenjie, who is now a doctoral student at Oxford, to his ship Judgment Day, which contains advanced satellite technology used to communicate with the aliens, who are known as the San-Ti (Trisolarans).Modern timeline: Following Jack’s murder, Thomas Wade and Da Shi enlist Jin Cheng’s help in infiltrating Mike Evans’ secret organization to collect intelligence. Under Wade and Da Shi’s guidance, Jin attends a secret countryside meeting where Ye Wenjie reveals that the purpose of the Earth-Tri Solaris movement is to help the San-Ti take over the Earth. British security forces raid the meeting. After realizing that Jin is the spy, Tatiana attempts to assassinate her, sparking a brawl which she uses to escape. Jin, though wounded, survives. Ye Wenjie and most of the other cultists are captured. Meanwhile, Mike Evans tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf to his San-Ti liaison. However, the San-Ti struggle to understand the concept of fiction and interprets the story to mean that all humans are liars and therefore their species cannot coexist with humanity. | |||||
| 5 | “Judgment Day” | Minkie Spiro | David Benioff & D. B. Weiss | March 21, 2024 | |
| Modern timeline: Da Shi interrogates Ye Wenjie, who feels that the San-Ti allowed her to be captured and therefore she is no longer useful to them. Da Shi discovers that Mike Evans’ ship, Judgment Day, is scheduled to go through the Panama Canal. Wade enlists the British Military and Auggie to destroy the ship but save the data aboard. Auggie is concerned about her countdown returning (it does not return) and the lives that will be lost on board the ship but helps with the effort. The nanofibers gruesomely slice the ship along its primary axis and kill everyone aboard. Mike Evans grabs a data backup but cannot escape the ship’s destruction. Decryption goes faster than expected. Wade plays Ye Wenjie the recording of the San-Ti’s confusion over humans lying, and she is frightened. Jin helps Wade with one of the files which is an unrecognized program. Through the game headsets, the file explains how San-Ti use high-dimensional protons called sophons to cause the amazing effects seen around Earth, and then all electronic devices around the world display the message “YOU ARE BUGS” and a sophon envelops the world. | |||||
| 6 | “The Stars Our Destination” | Minkie Spiro | Alexander Woo | March 21, 2024 | |
| The “giant eye” formed in the sky by the San-Ti Sophon causes panic in the global population, leading to turmoil in major cities. Jin Cheng visits the imprisoned Ye Wenjie, questioning her about the need to attract the San-Ti to Earth, which Ye believes is a form of redemption for humanity. To prevent urban riots from disrupting work, the PDC (Planetary Defense Council) establishes an office at the remote Wychwood Manor. Wade meets with a group of experts to discuss how to intercept the San-Ti fleet, believing a key criterion is that any probe needs to reach 1% of the speed of light. In subsequent discussions, Jin Cheng proposes the Staircase Project, using a thousand nuclear bombs as propulsion sources for a probe with huge solar sails, arranged on an acceleration orbit to achieve the goal. Raj finds Wade and, based on his performance in the Panama Operation, hopes to join the PDC and is granted permission. Auggie is disgusted that her nanomaterial research is being used for killing and is reluctant to have her research used in PDC operations. Da Shi asks Ye Wenjie why Vera Ye had suicidal thoughts, to which Ye reveals it was due to seeing the San-Ti civilization data left undeleted on Ye’s computer. Da Shi subsequently releases Ye Wenjie and assigns officers to track her. Downing hallucinates seeing the boat he and Cheng Jin sailed in, which stirs his emotions, leading him to purchase ownership of the DX3906 star for Cheng Jin through The Stars Our Destination Project. | |||||
| 7 | “Only Advance” | Jeremy Podeswa | David Benioff & D. B. Weiss | March 21, 2024 | |
| Jin Cheng receives the ownership certificate of star DX3906. Wade demonstrates cryogenic technology to PDC members and plans to enter cryo-sleep himself to be present when the San-Ti arrive in 400 years, stating that humanity can “Only Advance.” Due to insufficient nuclear bombs to use as propulsion, the maximum payload of the interstellar probe is only enough for a human brain. Da Shi’s son is considering starting a company to sell property futures on Mars. Auggie relinquishes her nanofiber research rights but makes all her findings public, returning to Mexico to apply nanotechnology to water purification for the benefit of the people. Considering Downing’s imminent death from cancer, Jin Cheng suggests him as a candidate for the Staircase Plan. Downing refuses to sign an oath of allegiance to humanity, confirming for Wade that Will’s lack of allegiance actually makes him the most suitable candidate. Ye Wenjie meets with Saul Durand and tells him about the Dark Forest theory, attempting to leave him a clue as to how to deal with the San-Ti. Downing chooses euthanasia, with Saul Durand at his side, but it isn’t until after his death that Jin Cheng is told that DX3906 was a gift from him. Cheng rushes to the hospital, but Downing has passed and his brain already removed. Ye Wenjie flies back to China and visits the Red Coast dish site, where she encounters Tatiana. They watch and share Dr Ye’s last sunset. | |||||
| 8 | “Wallfacer” | Jeremy Podeswa | David Benioff & D. B. Weiss | March 21, 2024 | |
| Saul and a woman are waiting on the sidewalk when a series of car crashes kills her. Da Shi’s investigation reveals that all three vehicles were autonomous cars and Saul was the intended victim of the San-Ti assassination attempt. Saul is taken into protective custody and is taken by Da Shi to the United Nations, where the Wallfacer Project is announced. Since the San-Ti are unable to read minds, Saul is one of three Wallfacers tasked to formulate an entirely mental plan to defeat them. Saul initially rejects his position and leaves the UN, only to be shot by a sniper. He is saved by his bulletproof clothing and reconsiders why the San-Ti want him dead. Wade and Jin oversee the Staircase Project, where Will’s cryogenically frozen brain is launched into space. After being propelled as intended by several bombs, the sail malfunctions, sending the probe off-course and no longer on an intercept path with the San-Ti fleet. Da Shi takes a despondent Jin and Saul to see a swarm of cicadas, which, despite humanity’s decades of attempts, have survived, suggesting that humanity has the same resilience. | |||||
Production[edit]
It was announced in September 2020 that David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were developing a television adaptation of the novel at Netflix, with Alexander Woo co-writing alongside them.[4]
In August 2021, Eiza González entered negotiations to join the cast.[5] The same month, Derek Tsang was hired to direct the pilot episode.[6] González would be confirmed as joining the cast by that October, with additional castings including Benedict Wong, Tsai Chin, John Bradley, Liam Cunningham and Jovan Adepo.[7] In June 2022, Jonathan Pryce, Rosalind Chao, Ben Schnetzer and Eve Ridley were added to cast.[8]
Production on the series began on November 8, 2021, with principal photography taking place in the United Kingdom.[9]
At Netflix’s Tudum 2022 event, Alexander Woo, David Benioff, and D.B. Weiss announced that the production of the first season was completed.[10]
Release[edit]
The show was released on March 21, 2024.[11] A companion podcast to be hosted by Jason Concepcion and Maggie Aderin-Pocock was also announced alongside it.[3]
On January 10, 2024, SXSW Film & TV Festival announced 3 Body Problem as the Opening Night TV Premiere.[12]
Reception[edit]
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating, based on 91 critic reviews. The website’s critics’ consensus reads, “Tackling its ambitious source material with impressive gusto, 3 Body Problem‘s first season proves a solid start that should leave sci-fi fans eager for more.”[13] Metacritic assigned it a score of 70 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[14]
Response in China[edit]
3 Body Problem received a mixed response in China. While Netflix is unavailable there, viewers can use VPNs to circumvent geo-restrictions, or they can view pirated versions.[15] According to The Guardian, the 3 Body Problem hashtag had been read 2.3 billion times and discussed 1.424 billion times on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.[16] Viewers criticised the racebending and gender swapping of several protagonists, cultural appropriation, as well as the “dumbing-down” of concepts to appeal to non-Chinese audience, and compared it unfavorably to the 2023 Chinese television adaptation, which received much critical acclaim there. Other Weibo users praised the Netflix series’ depiction of the Cultural Revolution, fidelity to source material, and wider appeal to a global audience.[15][16] The Chinese film review website Mtszimu described the Netflix adaptation as “not only a new interpretation of Liu Cixin’s original work but also an important contribution to global science-fiction literature”.[16]
In response to social media criticism about racebending, cast member Benedict Wong said that Liu had given the showrunners his blessing to move the story towards a global one. Wong also cited the presence of several Asian cast members including himself, Jess Hong, Rosalind Chao and Zine Tseng. Hong and Chao also said that the Netflix adaptation preserved the novel’s depiction of the Cultural Revolution and its legacy. Hong said that the adaptation sought to “globalize a story that was very heavily Eastern-focused into a Western perspective, a global perspective. Because, we’re all from different countries, for the actors, you get to pull in all of these brilliant storylines into one emotional core, which is quite brilliant.”[17]
Future[edit]
Although a second season has yet to be confirmed as of March 22, 2024, the plan is to adapt the whole trilogy which would likely have three or more seasons.[18][19][20]
References[edit]
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p “3 Body Problem Cast and Character Guide”. Netflix. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ “3 Body Problem: Everything You Need to Know About the New Series”. Netflix. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Jump up to:a b “The ‘3 Body Problem’ Teaser Has Entered the Orbit”. Netflix. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (September 1, 2020). “David Benioff & D.B. Weiss Set Sci-Fi Drama ‘The Three-Body Problem’ As First Major Netflix Series; Alexander Woo, Rian Johnson, Rosamund Pike To EP”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (August 3, 2021). “Eiza Gonzalez Joins David Beinoff And D.B. Weiss’ Netflix Series ‘Three-Body Problem'”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Hibberd, James (August 19, 2021). “Derek Tsang to Direct Netflix’s ‘Three-Body Problem’ from ‘Game of Thrones’ Showrunners (Exclusive)”. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (October 29, 2021). “‘3 Body Problem’: MCU’s Benedict Wong, Tsai Chin, ‘GoT’s John Bradley & Liam Cunningham Among 12 Cast In Netflix Series”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Hibberd, James (June 23, 2022). “Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’ Casts Four More Actors, Including ‘Game of Thrones’ Alum (Exclusive)”. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
- ^ “The Three-Body Problem”. Production Listing. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (September 28, 2022). “Netflix doesn’t seem to know how to talk about its 3 Body Problem show”. Verge.
- ^ Eddy, Cheryl (November 10, 2023). “Netflix Reveals 3 Body Problem Adaptation Clip—and Its Release Date”. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ Cruz, Olivia (January 10, 2024). “2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival Lineup announced with 3 Body Problem as the Opening Night TV Premiere”. SXSW. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ “3 Body Problem: Season 1″. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ “3 Body Problem: Season 1″. Metacritic. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Gan, Nectar (March 22, 2024). “Netflix blockbuster ‘3 Body Problem’ divides opinion and sparks nationalist anger in China”. CNN. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ Jump up to:a b c Davidson, Helen (March 22, 2024). “‘Flat and shallow’: Netflix’s 3 Body Problem divides viewers in China”. The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Tony (March 26, 2024). “‘3 Body Problem’ cast addresses whitewashing criticism from fans of original Chinese novels”. NBC News. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Britt, Ryan (March 21, 2024). “3 Body Problem Season 2: Everything We Know So Far – What does the future hold for the human race? And what about the San-Ti?”. Esquire. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ Mercuri, Monica (March 22, 2024). “Will There Be A ‘3 Body Problem’ Season 2 On Netflix? Here’s What To Know”. Forbes. Archived from the original on March 23, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ Tassi, Paul (March 23, 2024). “Netflix Is In A Bind With ‘3 Body Problem’ Season 2”. Forbes. Archived from the original on March 23, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
External links[edit]
| hidevteLiu Cixin‘s Remembrance of Earth’s Past | |
|---|---|
| Novels | The Three-Body Problem (2006)The Dark Forest (2008)Death’s End (2010) |
| Adaptations | FilmsWaterdrop (2015)The Three-Body Problem (indefinitely postponed)Animated seriesThe Three-Body Problem in Minecraft (2014–present)The Three-Body Problem (2022–2023)Live-action seriesThree-Body (2023)3 Body Problem (2024) |
| Related | Ball Lightning (2004)The Redemption of Time (2010)Rendezvous with the Future (2022) |
| hidevteDavid Benioff works | |
|---|---|
| Novels written | The 25th Hour (2001)City of Thieves (2008) |
| Short story collections written | When the Nines Roll Over (2004) |
| Films written | 25th Hour (2002)Troy (2004)Stay (2005)The Kite Runner (2007)X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)Brothers (2009)Gemini Man (2019) |
| TV series created | Game of Thrones (2011–2019)3 Body Problem (2024)Confederate (canceled) |
| hidevteLiu Cixin | |
|---|---|
| Remembrance of Earth’s Past | The Three-Body Problem (2006)The Dark Forest (2008)Death’s End (2010) |
| Other works | The Wandering Earth (2000)”The Poetry Cloud” (2003)Supernova Era (2003)Ball Lightning (2004) |
| Film adaptations | The Three-Body Problem (indefinitely postponed)The Wandering Earth (2019)The Wandering Earth 2 (2023)The Wandering Earth 3 (2027) |
| TV series adaptations | The Three-Body Problem in Minecraft (2014–present)The Three-Body Problem (2022–2023)Three-Body (2023)3 Body Problem (2024) |
Original ended series - 2024 American television series debuts
- 2020s American drama television series
- 2020s American science fiction television series
- Alien invasions in television
- American English-language television shows
- Cultural depictions of Marie Curie
- Cultural depictions of Omar Khayyam
- Cultural depictions of Thomas More
- Cultural depictions of Isaac Newton
- Cultural depictions of Alan Turing
- Netflix original programming
- Television series created by D. B. Weiss
- Television series created by David Benioff
- Television shows based on Chinese novels
- Television shows filmed in China
- Television shows filmed in the United Kingdom
- Television series about the Cultural Revolution
.jpg){kind=link}