what we know about the highly anticipated new series from the creators of “Game of Thrones”

The series “The 3-Body Problem” inspired by the science fiction novel by Liu Cixin, a real bestseller in China, will be available from March 21, 2024.

The creators of Game Of Thrones move to the science fiction side by seizing the successful Chinese novel The 3-body problem and deliver a highly anticipated series, March 21 on Netflix. The platform is counting on this adaptation to maintain its dominance in the world of streaming in 2024.

This new series, set in today’s London, is led by David Benioff and DB Weiss, the masterminds of “Game Of Thrones”, HBO’s huge hit of the 2010s, with its world of dragons, sex and political intrigue.

A “half-thriller, half-science fiction” fresco

Series “The 3-Body Problem” is inspired by the science fiction novel by Liu Cixin, a real bestseller in China. In the words of Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, it’s a fresco “half-thriller, half-science fiction”. A Chinese astrophysicist makes a radical decision in the 1960s, which has repercussions in the present. In England, young scientists try to unravel the mystery of paranormal phenomena, and find themselves confronted with a planetary threat.

This is the framework set by the project managers of Game Of Throneswho teamed up with Alexander Woo to quite freely translate Cixin Liu’s cult trilogy, published from 2008 and already adapted for television in China.

The new series navigates between eras, places, protagonists. “It’s a story about an imminent threat, but it’s totally connected to and centered around a group of characters.”underlines David Benioff, who wanted to arouse attachment, despite rather dark elements in the scenario.

A scientifically plausible series

The title refers to the “N-body problem” in celestial mechanics. According to Wikipedia, “the N-body problem is a celestial mechanics problem consisting of determining the trajectories of a set of N mutually attracting bodies”. Nothing to add, except that in the series, everything is plausible, like in “hard science fiction”.

A preview in Lille

The eight episodes of season 1 of 3 body problem will be broadcast worldwide on Netflix on March 21, and is already promising viewing records for the platform. The American blockbuster, watched by legions of fans, is presented this weekend at the SXSW festival in Austin (Texas) and it also opens the Séries Mania festival in Lille on March 15.

A series written during the Covid-19 crisis

The two “showrunners” (producer authors) of Game Of Thrones were recruited at a high price by Netflix, after the immense success of their HBO series from the 2010s and its world of dragons, sex and political intrigue inspired by the literary saga of George RR Martin, The iron Throne.

“Create Game Of Thrones was the most beautiful experience of our lives, but after ten years of living in this fictional world, we needed a project with new challenges at all levels, as is the case with this story.”relates DB Weiss, in the presentation file.

David Benioff, DB Weiss and Alexander Woo worked on the series in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. Hence, perhaps, certain apocalyptic visions. “Between climate change and the pandemic, we have had a glimpse of how people react differently to the prospect of a global threat”, reports DB Weiss. And “we see a similar spectrum of reactions in ‘The 3-body problemwhich resonates with many of us.”

“Game of Thrones” actors in the casting

In the casting, we find three of the main actors of Game Of Thrones. The British John Bradley plays one of the five Oxford scientists, the most rebellious, Liam Cunningham is the head of an intelligence agency, and Jonathan Pryce plays an oil tycoon. Alongside them are Jovan Adepo, Jess Hong, Eiza González, Alex Sharp and Benedict Wong.

An express shoot

To obtain landscapes as grandiose and the same polished effects as those of Game Of Thronesveterans were called upon including production designer Deborah Riley, visual effects producer Steve Kullback and also composer Ramin Djawadi.

Filming was express, over nine months starting in November 2021, at the Shepperton studios and various locations in England, and also in Badajoz in Spain, at the United Nations headquarters in New York as well as Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Scenes in China during the Cultural Revolution or in modern life are mixed with virtual reality sequences, which constituted one of the most complex tasks. Bodies are, for example, shown flattened and dehydrated, then rehydrated.