Three-Body Problem Movie Announces Iconic Director
From a book to a series and now to a movie, The Three-Body Problem’s feature-length makeover has officially found its director in Chinese filmmaker, Zhang Yimou. The news, which was announced at the Shanghai International Film Festival, gives the talented director a chance to move into the sci-fi genre after having conquered other avenues like comedies, martial arts, and action. The production will be overseen by Enlight Media, one of the country’s top three studios.
A Money-Making Director
For those familiar with his work, Zhang Yimou is an obvious choice to stand as the helmer for the movie version of The Three-Body Problem. The director has quite a successful track record, having previously released such money-making titles as Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Full River Red. And, we don’t toss around the adjective “money-making” lightly as, over his career, Zhang’s productions have raked in well over $1 billion in ticket sales.
Remembrance Of Earth’s Past
Like the series that was released on Netflix earlier this year, the film will follow the events that take place in The Three-Body Problem, the first book to come from author Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past sci-fi book series.
The story focuses on the titular physics theory and follows a group of humans living on Earth in the past, present, and future who encounter an alien species that threatens the planet as we know it. As of right now, no casting announcements have been revealed surrounding who will appear in Zhang Yimou’s take on the beloved novel.
A Fearless Director
One thing that audiences eager to see what Zhang Yimou does with The Three-Body Problem should take into account is that the filmmaker has never shied away from exploring China’s Cultural Revolution.
This is important because, while the book series talks about the country’s dark years between 1966 and 1976, it doesn’t fully dig into what happened. Unafraid of his government, having even had a screening at the Berlin Film Festival halted back in 2019 by Chinese authorities, it can be expected that Zhang Yimou will follow in the footsteps of the Netflix series and make sure a light is shone on the taboo topic.
The Netflix Series
The streamer’s adaptation of The Three-Body Problem—3 Body Problem–was created by Game of Thrones team David Benioff and D.B. Weiss as well as Alexander Woo. Featuring familiar faces such as John Bradley (Game of Thrones), Jovan Adepo (Babylon), Liam Cunningham (The Last Voyage of the Demeter), Rosalind Chao (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Eiza González (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), and more, the series was an immediate hit for Netflix and was soon picked up for a sophomore installment.
Social Commentary
As of right now, no further details surrounding Zhang Yimou’s version of The Three-Body Problem have been revealed. Should the director have full creative control, audiences can expect not just an adaptation but a solid piece of social commentary that focuses its lens on the past, present, and future, all while remaining loyal to the source material that came before it. No release date has been announced for the movie or the second season of Netflix’s hit sci-fi series.
Source: Variety
