‘3 Body Problem’ Renewed for Additional Episodes to Conclude the Netflix Series

James Hibberd
·3 min read
34
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Netflix is going to bring back — and even conclude — 3 Body Problem.

The streamer has greenlit additional episodes that will eventually wrap the acclaimed sci-fi epic from David Benioff, Dan Weiss and Alexander Woo.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

“We’re thrilled that we get to tell this story through to its epic conclusion,” the showrunners said in a statement. “Ever since we read the last page of Cixin Liu’s magnificent trilogy, we hoped we’d be able to bring the audience to the end of the universe with us. Here we go!”

There’s no word yet, however, how many seasons or episodes the order will entail. The showrunners had previously hoped to get a total of four seasons to adapt the three books in Liu’s trilogy.

In addition, Game of Thrones creators Benioff and Weiss have renewed their overall deal with the streamer to write, produce and direct new series and films. In addition to the continuation of 3 Body Problem, they are currently working on the recently announced series Death by Lightning. Their original 2019 overall deal was for at least $200 million. Woo also has an overall deal at the streamer.

Added Peter Friedlander, vp of scripted series at Netflix: “The extraordinary 3 Body Problem, brought to life with the deft hands of Benioff, Weiss and Woo, will soar to never-before-seen heights as they tackle the rest of the mind-blowing journey through Death’s End. Their brilliant vision as storytellers is matched by their amazing partnership — and, just like the fans, we can’t wait to see what they have in store.”

The decision follows a bit of a suspenseful will-they-or-won’t-they period following the rollout of the pricy drama’s debut season in May. After a somewhat modest first week, the show demonstrated it had legs, topping Netflix’s TV chart for three weeks and spending seven weeks in Netflix’s global Top 10. While 3 Body Problem initially drew some mixed reviews, its Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience scores gradually rose to 80 percent and 78 percent, respectively.

The show is said to be one of the most expensive in Netflix’s history, costing more than $20 million per episode, which doesn’t include the cost of acquiring the TV rights to Liu Cixin’s novels and subsequent marketing.

The producers have said they’ve been working on a second season as if a renewal is forthcoming in hopes of hitting the ground running when they get a green light.

Benioff previously told The Hollywood Reporter for a cover story that the second season of 3 Body Problem would be even better than the first: “Liu Cixin’s created this indelible trilogy and the books just get better for me. The second book is far better than the first, and the third book just completely blew my mind. The story just gets more and more ambitious as it goes, and it takes a huge leap in book two. So I feel like if we survive to the second season, we’re going to be in a good place.”

Best of The Hollywood Reporter