‘Game of Thrones’ Creators to Adapt Chinese Sci-Fi Trilogy for Netflix

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have revealed their next big project at Netflix — an adaptation of The Three-Body Problem. The embattled screenwriters will see the sci-fi novels turned into a TV series with the help of original author Cixin Liu, English translator Ken Liu and producer Rian Johnson. All are reportedly intent on making sure the series matches the spirit of the books.

The Three-Body Problem is the first novel in Liu’s series, which is formally titled the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. It weaves together high-concept sci-fi elements with familiar settings and characters for one of the most unpredictable journeys in contemporary fiction. On Tuesday, Netflix excitedly announced that a screen adaptation of the trilogy is on the way, with Benioff and Weiss serving as executive producers. The two have been under fire from fans for their controversial ending to Game of Thrones last year, but they shared nothing but excitement for this new project.

“Liu Cixin’s trilogy is the most ambitious science-fiction series we’ve read, taking readers on a journey from the 1960s until the end of time, from life on our pale blue dot to the distant fringes of the universe,” the two said. “We look forward to spending the next years of our lives bringing this to life for audiences around the world.”

Benioff and Weiss will be joined by executive producers Lin Qi, Alexander Woo and Bernadette Caulfield, with Johnson serving as a producer. Both Cixin and Ken Liu are listed as consulting producers, there to ensure the story is not changed too much in the re-telling. Finally, actress Rosamund Pike will serve as an executive producer on the project, while she herself stars in the upcoming fantasy series The Wheel of Time on Amazon Video.

So far, there is no word on when The Three-Body Problem will go into production, nor any information on casting, format or other particulars. The series is unique in its rotating cast of heroes and villains, as well as some mysterious visual elements that are never clearly defined in the text.

The Three-Body Problem was first released in China in 2006, followed by its sequel, The Dark Forest in 2008 and the finale Death’s End in 2010. The books were released in English in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively. The series has been lauded as the revival of classic “hard sci-fi” — meaning, science fiction based on real scientific extrapolation with rigorous attention to its own internal rules.

While fans have been dying to see the story play out on screen, the announcement was followed by mixed reactions to the inclusion of Benioff and Weiss. Fans are openly debating their hiring on forums and social media. All three books in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy are available in print, eBook and audiobook formats wherever books are sold.