Award-winning Chinese director Zhang Yimou will helm a feature film adaptation of Liu Cixin's science fiction novel The Three-Body Problem. The novel explores themes of human-alien encounters and the struggle for survival across civilizations.
The Three-Body Problem series, published in 2008, follows humanity's first contact with an alien civilization and a woman's decision in 1960s China that impacts the present day. It has been translated into over 30 languages and gained international popularity.
Sci-fi has become mainstream in China's film industry, with successful films like The Wandering Earth. Prior adaptations of The Three-Body Problem have had mixed success, while Netflix's adaptation 3 Body Problem was well-received and renewed for two more seasons.
Adapting The Three-Body Problem into a movie is considered challenging due to its cosmic scope and complex plot. The novel has been adapted in various formats, including an English-language Netflix series involving Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and writer Alexander Woo.
The Three-Body Universe has expanded into TV series, radio dramas, audiobooks, and animated series. Trademark protection for The Three-Body Universe has been a focus, with over a hundred trademarks registered.
Zhang Yimou's recent films have collectively earned $1.15 billion in China, with Full River Red being China's top-grossing movie of 2023, earning $634.6 million, Under the Light earning $190 million, and Article 20 earning $323.6 million.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Variety, Pandaily, The Hollywood Reporter, Yahoo News, and Deadline.