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Everything we know about Netflix’s 3 Body Problem

Looking forward to Netflix's 3 Body Problem? Here's what you need to know

By Blair Marnell Jan 19, 2024 5:00 AM

Eiza González in 3 Body Problem. — Netflix

It’s been nearly five years since Game of Thrones wrapped up its run, and series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss haven’t released a new series. That’s going to change very soon when Netflix debuts the first season of 3 Body Problem, which is based on the hit sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem
by Liu Cixin. The story has already been adapted for Chinese TV. Still, the American series reportedly has a budget of up to 25 million dollars per episode, which makes it one of the most expensive television shows of all time.

Because Cixin’s novel isn’t as well-known in America as George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books were before Game of Thrones, It’s safe to assume that many people aren’t familiar with the 3 Body Problem. That’s why we will share everything we know about 3 Body Problems to prepare you for the show.

Something strange is happening in 3 Body Problem. — Netflix

What is 3 Body Problem about?

Aliens. It’s more complicated than that, of course. But the central storyline of the series revolves around aliens. A Chinese astrophysicist named Ye Wenjie was the first to discover proof of extraterrestrial life in the ’60s. And the choices that Wenjie made six decades ago will have severe consequences in the present as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

The cast of 3 Body Problem. — Netflix

What exactly is the 3-Body Problem?

It’s difficult to explain everything that entails without a complete understanding of what the three-body problem is. But the simplest way to put it is that it’s a physics problem that grapples with computing the trajectory of three bodies interacting. For example, our world interacts in space with the sun and the moon for a three-body problem that’s a little closer to home.

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This series will have a different three-body problem beyond our world, but it’s too much of a spoiler to say what it is here.

The cast of 3 Body Problem. — Netflix

Who are the cast members of 3 Body Problem?

Benioff and Weiss weren’t shy about casting former Game of Thrones cast members in pivotal roles in this series. GoT veterans John Bradley, Jonathan Pryce, and Liam Cunningham will all appear in the series. Pryce will be playing the older version of billionaire oil tycoon Mike Evans, with Ben Schnetzer appearing as a much younger Mike in the past.

Similarly, Rosalind Chao will play the older Ye Wenjie in the present, while Zine Tseng portrays young Ye Wenjie in the past. Cunningham is playing Wade, a “charismatic leader of the world’s most elite intelligence operation.”

Bradley’s character, Jack Rooney, is one of the “Oxford Five,” a group of scientists who will have important roles in this story. The other four members of that informal group are Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo), Augustina ‘Auggie’ Salazar (Eiza González), and Will Downing (Alex Sharp).

Doctor Strange’s Benedict Wong plays an intelligence officer named Da Shi, while the rest of the cast also includes Tatiana (Marlo Kelly), one of Evans’ loyal followers, as well Jin’s boyfriend, naval officer Raj Varma (Saamer Usmani), and two advanced VR creations: Follower (Eve Ridley) and Sophon (Sea Shimooka).

Reality is subjective in 3 Body Problem. — Netflix

Is there a trailer for 3 Body Problem?

There is a trailer for the show, but it doesn’t provide much context for what the 3 Body Problem is about, and it isn’t easy to follow if you don’t have that information. Instead, the trailer relies on familiar faces in the cast and a foreboding tone of dread.

3 Body Problem | Official Trailer | Netflix

In a few of the scenes, the characters can also be seen putting on the advanced VR tech.

Something otherworldly happens in 3 Body Problem. — Netflix

When will 3 Body Problem premiere?

All eight episodes of 3 Body Problem season 1 will be released on March 21 on Netflix.

Blair Marnell is a freelance writer for The Manual, Digital Trends, Fandom, Yahoo Entertainment, and more! Read Full Bio

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