Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem was only published in 2008, and already there have been multiple adaptations of the Chinese novel. Here in America, we already have one, a Netflix series developed by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss that just earned itself two more seasons. And now there will be another take on the book, as THR reports acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou will adapt the bestseller into a feature film.
Yimou, best known for soaring wuxia films such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers, but also English-language actioners such as The Great Wall, will adapt Three-Body Problem into a movie. The story follows a group of people from the past, present, and future who come across an alien civilization from a neighboring system of stars orbiting one another.
An earlier attempt to adapt the film came in 2015 with director Zhang Fanfan, who planned to do it in 3D. But studio turmoil and poor response to the first cut saw the project put on hold indefinitely, although Amazon was rumored to be trying to acquire it at one point.
The thing about Three-Body Problem adaptations is that each version brings something different to the table. Benioff and Weiss’ version got in China for its diverse international cast and the gender-swapping of certain characters. There have also been comic books, an audio book, Chinese television shows, and even a fan-made Minecraft adaptation.
