Peacock Makes Major Move Against Netflix

Peacock has found a brilliant way to undercut Netflix and probably make fans of The Three-Body Problem happy in the process. Peacock acquired the rights to the Chinese series Three-Body, an adaptation of the same Chinese novel series that Netflix's upcoming 3 Body Problem is based on. While the Netflix original series won't premiere until March 21, the Chinese adaptation premiered earlier this month on Peacock and is available to stream there now for fans in the U.S.

The Three-Body Problem is the first in a trilogy of sci-fi novels by author Cixin Liu, published in 2008 in Chinese and then in English in 2014. The Chinese streaming service Tencent Video acquired the TV rights to the story in 2008 but had several delays that kept it from being completed. In the meantime, YooZoo Film struck a separate deal allowing them to produce an adaptation for Netflix, which began work in 2020. However, that spurred the team at Tencent to pick up the pace, so both series wound up with premiere dates in early 2024. The Tencent version premiered in China on Jan. 15, and it reached American audiences on Feb. 10 on Peacock.

"With all the buzz surrounding Netflix's English adaptation, we're excited about the opportunity for sci-fi and Chinese drama fans to watch the Chinese-language original (with English subtitles) ahead of the Hollywood adaptation," read an NBCUniversal press release. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, this means Peacock can count on the publicity from Netflix's adaptation to bolster views on its licensed content. It may help draw in subscribers, as fans of these immensely popular books are wary of the English-language version and will probably be interested in Tencent's "ultra-faithful adaptation."

The Tencent series has 30 episodes available to stream now, while the Netflix series will have eight episodes. One major issue that has fans holding their breath is the creative team – Netflix's version comes from writers and co-showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the duo behind HBO's Game of Thrones. Their infamous ending for that show drew a lot of criticism, though some fans are hopeful that this project will be different since it is based on a book series that is already finished.

Meanwhile, the Tencent version has reportedly been criticized for glossing over some historical and social issues from the books. The Three-Body Problem begins in the 1960s and 1970s – a period known as "The Cultural Revolution" in China. It deals directly with oppression and political violence, and that theme echoes throughout the rest of the trilogy. According to THR these elements are downplayed in the Tencent series, while other parts of the book are adapted so closely that some have called it "tedious."

Three-Body is streaming now on Peacock, while 3 Body Problem premieres on Netflix on Thursday, March 21. Cixin Liu's novels are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats in English and many other languages.