The viewership of the sci-fi series “The Three-Body Problem” on Netflix continues to increase, with another 4.8 million views added recently. As of Wednesday (17th), it has topped the global viewership chart for three weeks in a row, sparking hot discussions among Douban users. On the 16th, all reviews of the Netflix version of “The Three-Body Problem” on Douban were suddenly cleared.
Since its premiere on March 21st, “The Three-Body Problem” remains the highest-rated English-language series on Netflix globally. The show has stirred up discussions among mainland Chinese netizens due to its “Cultural Revolution scenes,” leading to mixed reviews. On the morning of the 16th, all short reviews, long reviews, and discussion forums related to the Netflix version of “The Three-Body Problem” on Douban were wiped out, attracting attention from the public.
According to a report by CNN, Netflix’s adaptation of “The Three-Body Problem” moved a segment from the middle of the original novel, featuring the scene where Ye Wenjie’s father was persecuted to death during the Cultural Revolution, to the beginning of the series. This opening sequence, which was approved by the original author Liu Cixin, is part of the English translation of the novel.
Recently, Chinese netizens discovered that they could no longer rate the Netflix version of “The Three-Body Problem,” and all previous reviews were cleared, leaving users puzzled. Netizens commented, “Does the management department have a knack for predicting things?””One cannot forget others’ history while avoiding their own.” “Nothing makes a film or series more appealing than it being banned.”
Netflix has not yet announced the renewal for a second season of “The Three-Body Problem,” but the show’s executive producers David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo have hinted at the possibility in interviews. According to Deadline, on the 14th, Weiss revealed that there are still many issues to be resolved in the future development of the series.
Weiss said, “This show allows you to easily enter the world of the story, and the story develops vigorously in the most possible way. Faced with such a crazy plot, there are many choices and many things to figure out. Recently, especially in the past few months, we have been brainstorming and working together to solve these problems.”
On the 3rd, the three executive producers appeared on Collider’s interview program, discussing their long-term plans for the series. Weiss mentioned, “We already have a rough idea of what will happen in the second season.”
The second season of “The Three-Body Problem” will be adapted from Liu Cixin’s work “The Dark Forest,” following the adaptation of his book “The Three-Body Problem” for the first season. The third part of the trilogy, also the final part “Death’s End,” may take longer to be released.
Weiss said, “We are not entirely sure how our characters will reach that point, but we know they must reach that scene because that scene, that scene, that scene is why we chose these books originally and wanted to adapt them.”
Benioff mentioned the need for “three, maybe four seasons to tell the whole story.” He anticipates that the second season will adapt the entire “Dark Forest,” but due to the length of “Death’s End,” it may require more time. Benioff added, “This is a beautiful conclusion, and we are eager to see it through. We hope there are enough viewers so that Netflix can renew it and give us a few more years.”