Netflix to keep making The Three-Body Problem over Republican Senators’ objections

Republican Senators raised concerns over Netflix’s adaptation of the popular Chinese sci-fi series The Three-Body Problem, but Netflix is standing its ground:

Not long ago, we heard that Netflix was mounting an adaptation of The Three-Body Problem, a hugely successful science fiction series by Chinese author Liu Cixin. Netflix has assembled a pretty impressive team to make the show. The main point guys are Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who will produce alongside True Blood writer Alexander Woo. Brad Pitt, Rosamund Pike and Rian Johnson are also involved at various levels. Finally, both Liu Cixin and Ken Liu, who did the English translation of the book, are on board as consulting producers.

However, an unexpected problem soon reared its head: a group of Republican Senators sent a letter to Netflix objecting to the project, or at least to the streaming service doing business with Liu personally; it wasn’t completely clear. In 2019, Cixin expressed support for the Chinese governments internment of Uyghur Muslims in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, something widely seen as a human rights abuse by the international community.

Now, Netflix has responded to the letter. You can read the whole thing below, but the basic takeaway is that they’re not going to stop making The Three-Body Problem, insisting that while they disagree with Cixin’s comments, they have nothing to do with the content of his books, and he’s not the creator of the show in any case:

"Dear Senators Blackburn, Scott, Cramer, Tillis, and McSally:Thank you for your letter from September 23, and your interest in the upcoming Netflix series adaptation based on The Three-Body Problem. First, we’d like to note that Netflix does not operate a service in China. We address your questions and concerns below:Q: Does Netflix agree that the Chinese Communist Party’s interment of 1.8 to 3 million Uyghurs in internment or labor camps based on their ethnicity is unacceptable?A: Absolutely. As the UN Declaration of Human Rights (which China has signed) states “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”Q: In order to avoid any further glorification of the CCP’s actions against the Uyghurs, or validation of the Chinese regime and agencies responsible for such acts, what steps will Netflix take to cast a critical eye on this project – to include the company’s broader relationship with Mr. Liu?A: Mr. Liu is the author of the books, not the creator of this series. Mr. Liu’s comments are not reflective of the views of Netflix or of the show’s creators, nor are they part of the plot or themes of the show.Q: Were Netflix senior executives aware of the statements made by Mr. Liu Cixin regarding the CCP’s genocidal acts prior to entering into an agreement to adapt his work? If so, please outline the reasoning that led Netflix to move forward with this project. If not, please describe Netflix’s standard process of due diligence and the gaps therein that led to this oversight.A: Mr. Liu is a Chinese citizen living in China – he is the author of the books, not the creator of this Netflix series. The creators are David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, and Alexander Woo, executive producer/writer on the series True Blood.Q: Does Netflix have a policy regarding entering into contracts with public-facing individuals who, either publicly or privately, promote principles inconsistent with Netflix’s company culture and principles? If so, please outline this policy. If not, please explain why not.A: Netflix judges individual projects on their merits. Mr. Liu is the author of the book – The Three Body Problem – not the creator of this show. We do not agree with his comments, which are entirely unrelated to his book or this Netflix show.Sincerely,Dean GarfieldVice President, Global Public PolicyNetflix"

That last answer pretty much sums up Netflix’s position. “Mr. Liu is the author of the book – The Three Body Problem – not the creator of this show. We do not agree with his comments, which are entirely unrelated to his book or this Netflix show.”

I think that’s fair enough, although it doesn’t deal with the fact that Cixin is a consulting producer. He even made a statement in support of the show when the show was announced:

"I have the greatest respect for and faith in the creative team adapting The Three-Body Problem for television audiences. I set out to tell a story that transcends time and the confines of nations, cultures, and races; one that compels us to consider the fate of humankind as a whole. It is a great honor as an author to see this unique sci-fi concept travel and gain fandom across the globe and I am excited for new and existing fans all over the world to discover the story on Netflix."

To be fair, that does sort of sound like he’s giving his blessing from afar and won’t be involved with the actual running of the show, but I wonder if Netflix will sever whatever little ties it has to him after this. If they are, they don’t mention it in their response.

The Three-Body Problem is about Earth’s first contact with an alien civilization, told over a period of many years. Although it’s true that the story doesn’t touch China’s abuse of its Uyghur Muslim minority, it does deal with the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a turbulent period in the country’s history where leader Mao Zedong enacted political purges that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

As always, this is a tricky situation. What do you think? Is Netflix’s statement enough to put the matter behind them? Was the initial letter sent in good faith to begin with? Do they need to sever ties with Liu Cixin further, or was he never involved enough for it to matter?

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels