Why Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is such a high-stakes project for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

You’d think having “Game of Thrones showrunner” on your resume would open almost any door in the entertainment industry. But the creators and showrunners of one of HBO’s biggest hits of all time have nevertheless struggled to find a new win since leaving Westeros behind, with at least two major post-Thrones projects for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss failing to get off the ground over the past several years. Fortunately, their upcoming Netflix series 3 Body Problem — a highlight of the streamer’s annual Tudum event on Saturday, with the reveal of the highly anticipated series’ first trailer — looks to have all the makings of a hit.

Set to debut on Netflix in January 2024, 3 Body Problem boasts a star-studded cast and brings to life one of the most celebrated sci-fi novels of all time (from Chinese author Liu Cixin). The optimistic view here is that this is the perfect IP to tackle for two creators who’ve been searching since 2019 for their next hit — while, at the same time, the cynic in me can’t help but remember what happened the last time Benioff and Weiss got their hands on material from a beloved author with a devoted fanbase.

The showrunners

The misfires and failures that Weiss and Benioff have encountered since Thrones ended included an HBO series that was pretty much (wisely) killed in the cradle. Confederate, from Weiss and Benioff, was to be an alternative history story that envisioned what might have happened had the Confederacy won the US Civil War. A series that portrays the dissolution of the Union and depicts slavery still rampant, run by two white guys? Who could have foreseen the problems there?

The two men, meanwhile, were also in talks for a minute there to helm a new Star Wars trilogy, though not much is known about where they would have taken audiences in the galaxy far, far away. The creators were, however, rumored to have an interest in delving into the origins of the Jedi.

That brings us to their forthcoming Netflix series, 3 Body Problem.

What is the 3 Body Problem Netflix series about?

The 3 Body Problem’s story is set during China’s Cultural Revolution. A secretive project involving the military sends out a signal to try and make contact with aliens, and that effort ends up being a success. The signal is picked up by an alien race that’s imploding, and it decides to invade Earth — which sets off all sorts of squabbles and creates divisions between those who, for example, want to fight the invaders and those who want to help.

“It was impossible to expect a moral awakening from humankind itself, just like it was impossible to expect humans to lift off the earth by pulling up on their own hair. To achieve moral awakening required a force outside the human race.”
Liu Cixin, 3 Body Problem

Fans of the book include celebrities like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin, and President Barack Obama. The title, by the way, refers to three particles with mutual gravitational interactions, similar to the way the moon orbits the Earth, while the Earth in turn orbits the sun.

As for the Netflix series, it will consist of eight episodes and has a cast that includes Liam Cunningham, Eiza Gonzalez, Benedict Wong, and Jonathan Pryce, with Academy Award-nominated Derek Tsang (among others to be announced) directing. Alexander Woo co-created the series with Weiss and Benioff, and is an executive producer and writer.

Here’s hoping Weiss and Benioff can recreate some of the Game of Thrones magic with this Netflix series, because what we’ve seen of 3 Body Problem so far looks absolutely fantastic. I’d even go so far as to say the series looks like it has the potential deliver the streamer another triumph along the lines of shows like Black Mirror and the cult favorite Dark.