'3 Body Problem' Clip Has Fans Divided Over New Netflix Adaptation

The series is drawing closer but fans are not getting any more optimistic that it will live up to the novels.

By Michael Hein

Netflix's Geeked Week events included a clip from the new series 3 Body Problem, but the response from fans has been mixed. The scene shows Jin Cheng (Jess Hong) introducing Jack Rooney (John Bradley) to the unnerving new virtual reality headset she has received. Fans are nervous to see how much has already been changed from the books.

This Netflix original series is based on a lauded trilogy of novels called Remembrance of Earth's Past by Chinese author Cixin Liu, with the first novel called The Three-Body Problem. The first book depicts several characters disillusioned with humanity for various reasons discovering the existence of extra-terrestrial life. They establish communication with these aliens and work on their behalf to prepare earth for colonization, believing that humans aren't worthy of the planet anymore. One of their recruitment tools is an advanced virtual reality video game, though it is not quite like the one shown in this clip.

The clip puts a lot of emphasis on this virtual reality game, though in truth it is only a small part of the original novel. Additionally, the show has changed some characters' names – presumably to make them easier for English-speaking audiences to keep track of. All in all, fans seem to be worried that this show will not live up to the books and will be "watered-down."

That assessment may be due to the involvement of co-showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss – the duo behind HBO's Game of Thrones. While Benioff and Weiss were lauded for adapting Game of Thrones in the early seasons, they made a lot of cuts as the story went on and then rushed to the end when they ran out of source material. Since Remembrance of Earth's Past is finished and is relatively short, that should be avoidable here. Still, after the disappointment of Game of Thrones Season 8, many fans are wary of this adaptation.

Netflix's take on 3 Body Problem is slated to premiere on March 21, 2024. Cixin Liu's novels are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats in English. Here's a look at what fans are saying about this latest preview clip.

Too Advanced

Fans wondered why the VR technology in this scene was so needlessly advanced. For the purposes of the plot, a modern headset would have served just fine and been more faithful to the books.

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Character Remixes

The characters in this scene are not directly analogous to characters in the book, and many fans are worried about what that will do this story.

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Reputation

Fans' responses to this clip emphasized how much Benioff and Weiss' reputation has changed in the years since Game of Thrones came out.

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Lighting

Fans joked that the lighting and visibility problems from later seasons of Game of Thrones are already present again here.

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Completion

The fact that this adaptation is being handled by Netflix has some fans nervous as well – they worry the streamer won't finish the series if the first season doesn't perform well within a narrow window after release.

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Other Adaptations

Finally, many fans took this chance to spread the word that The Three-Body Problem has been adapted before by Chinese creators. Netflix's 3 Body Problem premieres on March 21, 2024.

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