Hit Or Miss: '3 Body Problem' Hopes To Be The Next Great Sci-Fi Epic

At the recent annual Tudum showcase, Netflix debuted the first teaser trailer for its upcoming science fiction series, 3 Body Problem. This short but effective trailer promises viewers an existential alien invasion story that is as epic as it is thought provoking. The teaser makes a conscious effort to keep things intentionally vague, strongly alluding to its alien invasion premise without revealing any of the specifics surrounding it. The intense and grandiose sound design combined with an ominous voiceover that equates our childhood fear of the dark to our adult curiosity of the unknown establishes an eerie yet grounded tone. The brief glimpses of action we get throughout the trailer give us a sense of the large-scale storytelling this upcoming series hopes to achieve, teasing a variety locations and numerous characters. With 3 Body Problem being developed by the creators of Game of Thrones, audiences will no doubt have high expectations when it comes to the overall quality of the series.

Based on the critically acclaimed novel by the Chinese author Liu Cixin, 3 Body Problem will tell the story of Earth establishing first contact with an alien civilization after a secret military project sends signals into the far reaches of space. As it turns out, the alien civilization that discovers these signals is on the brink of destruction and has deemed Earth to be a suitable replacement for the unstable solar system in which they currently inhabit. As the Earth prepares for its impending invasion, the population becomes significantly divided, with some groups planning to fight back against the invaders while others planning to welcome them, believing our world has become too corrupt and could benefit from the guiding hand of a superior being. Though the series will primarily be set in China during the Cultural Revolution, it will feature locations and characters from across the globe as well as jump between decades in time, telling a story that spans generations. The series will feature an extensive cast including Jovan Adepo (Babylon, Overlord, Fences), Eiza Gonzales (Baby Driver, Ambulance, I Care A Lot), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange, Annihilation, The Martian) and many others. 3 Body Problem is set to premiere on Netflix sometime in January of 2024 and will consist of eight, hour long episodes.

When considering the complex and acclaimed novel in which the series is based off, it is clear that this latest series from Netflix is an ambitious one. But with a strong creative and producer team attached, there are plenty of reasons for viewers to get excited for this high concept science fiction adventure. At the start of the trailer viewers are immediately made aware that this new series is being brought to them by the creators of Game of Thrones. There is no denying the massive success that HBO experienced with Game of Thrones, as further demonstrated by the continued success of its spinoff series House of the Dragon, so for many viewers this connection alone will be enough to get them in the door. Though Game of Thrones may have struggled towards the end of its run, its earlier seasons are regarded as some of the strongest ever developed for television. It was these earlier seasons that were direct adaptations of the novels written by George R.R. Martin, and with the producers once again having such strong source material to work from, the result could be yet another powerful and captivating entry of television. 

Though the genres may be different, with Game of Thrones being fantasy and 3 Body Problem being science fiction, these series are similar in how they both aim to tell an intricate narrative with multiple interwoven and intersecting storylines. How well this new series is able to navigate its dense narrative will be crucial in its ability to find and maintain its audience. The strongest works of science fiction tend to be the stories that offer insight and perspective on some facet of humanity. Recently, there have been a few examples of big budget science fiction series produced for streaming that have failed to hit their marks. More specifically, Extrapolations on Apple TV+ and Citadel on Prime Video received poor reviews, earning Rotten Tomatoes scores of 45% and 51% respectively. Ultimately these series favored style over substance, and as a result audiences were largely disinterested. This first trailer for 3 Body Problem is loaded with visually interesting shots that do an excellent job of showcasing the style this series intends to have. The question that remains is if it will have the substance to back it up. Despite the limited glimpse provided by the teaser, 3 Body Problem seems genuinely promising. If it can deliver on being the thoughtful and intellectual story the trailer suggests it will be, I think it will certainly be a series to keep your eye on when it hits Netflix this January.