David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who adapted George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones for HBO, have set up sci-fi show Three-Body Problem at Netflix. The writing and producing pair are best known for their eight-season run on Game of Thrones, which was hailed for its unusual depth and emotional honesty when compared to other fantasy properties. Unfortunately, once the show reached its later seasons and had to rely on new material after running out of material to adapt, it suffered a severe decline. The final season was so poorly received that many fans, and even some cast, have supported the idea of remaking it.

The Three-Body Problem is the first novel in a trilogy written by Liu Cixin and translated by Ken Liu, officially titled Remembrance of Earth's Past but colloquially referred to by the title of the first book, similar to Martin's book series, which is actually called A Song of Ice and Fire. The novel, which was a sensation in China, and when translated into English, won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, tells the tale of an alternate version of Earth set to be invaded by a civilization from a nearby star system, suffering from the titular three-body problem.

Variety reports that Benioff, Weiss, and Alexander Woo, who was a producer on Vampire show True Blood, will adapt all three novels in the series into a sci-fi drama for Netflix, with all three men tackling showrunning and writing duties. Cixin and Liu will be consulting producers, similar to the role Martin held on Game of Thrones. Additionally, Rian Johnson, who was briefly working in Benioff and Weiss on their now-canceled Star Wars trilogy, will be an executive producer, alongside Brad Pitt and British actress Rosamund Pike. You can read Benioff and Weiss's comments on the new show below.


The show is the first that Benioff and Weiss will produce after signing an exclusive deal with Netflix, though neither party revealed how many seasons have been ordered. Given that there are three books, one assumes there will be at least three seasons, though there is potential for many more, as the source novels are dense and cover a great deal of fictional human history. Fans of Game of Thrones will also be happy to know that the source material has already been written.

While Benioff and Weiss proved they are adept at adapting existing material, the final few seasons of the show, which moved beyond Martin's novels, were poorly plotted and written, showing the pair are perhaps not as good at coming up with original material. Suffice to say that shouldn't be an issue with The Three-Body Problem, since the books have a definitive ending and a straightforward narrative for the pair, and Woo, to follow.