On March 21, Netflix will premiere 3 Body Problem, a new sci-fi show based on the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy by Liu Cixin. The novels tell a challenging, complicated story that I'm eager to see come to life onscreen, all of it managed by David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the guys who created and managed Game of Thrones for HBO.
To drum up hype, Macmillan Audio will release an audiobook version of the first book in Liu Cixin's trilogy, The Three-Body Problem, on February 27, available at Audible, Apple Books, and wherever else audiobooks are sold. Reading the book is Rosalind Chao, who appears in the Netflix show as Ye Wenjie, one of the story's most important characters.
"I had the incredible privilege of bringing Ye Wenjie’s character to life through the TV series adaptation of 3 Body Problem," Chao said in a statement. "It was a truly enriching experience. Now, narrating the audiobook, I find myself in the unique position of embodying all the characters within this mesmerizing universe. It's a creative challenge that I embrace with enthusiasm, and I can't wait for listeners to hear the audiobook!”
In addition to her role in 3 Body Problem, Chao played Rose in The Joy Luck Club, Keiko O'Brien on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, Mulan’s mother Hua Li in Disney's live-action remake of Mulan, and much more. Her acting bonafides are unimpeachable and I'm certain she'll crush the audiobook.
Ye Wenjie may be one of Chao's most interesting roles to date. She actually plays the older version of Ye Wenjie; we'll also meet Ye Wenjie as a young woman when she's played by Zine Tseng. I won't spoil much, but the fact that 3 Body Problem hired two different actors to play Ye Wenjie at different points in her life should clue you in as to how important a character she is. I'll just say that she's a scientist who makes a very significant discovery about humanity's place in the universe.
With the audiobook coming out this month and the show next, interest is building in 3 Body Problem. We'll see if the new show has the legs to last.
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