Winter is Coming
Fansided

Game of Thrones showrunners’ new series gets its first director

By Dan Selcke

BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 18: Derek Tsang attends a press conference and panel discussion in Beijing's Rosewood Hotel, moderated by host Andy Chen, and featuring IWC Chief Marketing Officer Franziska Gsell, IWC Brand Ambassadors Zhou Xun and Dev Patel, and IWC's 2017 Outstanding Young Filmmaker of the Year, Derek Tsang, on April 18, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images for IWC Schaffhausen)
BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 18: Derek Tsang attends a press conference and panel discussion in Beijing's Rosewood Hotel, moderated by host Andy Chen, and featuring IWC Chief Marketing Officer Franziska Gsell, IWC Brand Ambassadors Zhou Xun and Dev Patel, and IWC's 2017 Outstanding Young Filmmaker of the Year, Derek Tsang, on April 18, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images for IWC Schaffhausen) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are swinging big with an adaptation of Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem, which is staffing up.

Game of Thrones is two years gone, and showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss have been fairly quiet. But they’re gearing up for something big. Their next huge project is an adaptation of The Three-Body Problem trilogy by author Liu Cixin, which they’re making along with True Blood writer Alexander Woo. The books are about Earth’s first contact with an alien civilization; the title refers to the unstable star system that results in this alien world being very inhospitable. The aliens get the idea that Earth might suit them better, and we Earthlings have to prepare for their arrival.

Even before it began, The Three-Body Problem show ran into some roadblocks, including Republican Senators writing a letter objecting to it (it’s a long story, you can read about it here). But Netflix forged ahead with the series, which began casting not long ago.

And now, The Hollywood Reporter reveals that The Three-Body Problem has its first director: Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Tsang, whose 2019 movie Better Days was nominated for an Oscar for Best International Feature Film, will direct the show’s first episode.

The Three-Body Problem is a heady sci-fi story that will take a lot of resources and effort to do right. Technically, it’s only one of several things that Benioff and Weiss are producing under their Netflix deal — The Chair, a dramady starring Sandra Oh as the head of an English department, was also produced under this deal and just came out this past weekend — but it’s clear that The Three-Body Problem is their big project.

The Three-Body Problem is coming to Netflix, but we don’t yet have a release date.

dark. Next. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a remarkable MCU movie and origin story

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

Home/Dan Weiss