Acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou is set to helm a Chinese-language feature film based on Liu Cixin’s seminal science fiction novel The Three-Body Problem. The news was announced Sunday at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
The Three-Body Problem, the first book in Liu’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, has already been adapted by Netflix into a big-budget English-language series titled 3 Body Problem. However, reactions were mixed in China due to the largely non-Chinese cast and creative liberties taken with the source material.
By turning to the renowned Zhang Yimou, the new Chinese film adaptation aims to deliver a more faithful take that will resonate with fans of the original novel. Zhang is one of China’s most respected and celebrated filmmakers, known for critically acclaimed works like Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and House of the Flying Daggers.
Beijing Enlight Media is in the early stages of developing the project along with Three-Body Universe Cultural Development Co., which owns the rights to the book. While plot details are still under wraps, the storyline is expected to closely follow Liu’s imaginative premise blending scientific concepts like game theory with metaphysical and alien themes.
The Three-Body Problem movie allows Zhang, 72, to finally tackle the sci-fi genre after a decorated career spanning nearly four decades. His most recent films like Full River Red and Article 20 were massive commercial hits in China.
With his artistic vision and Chinese cultural perspective, Zhang Yimou’s take on the mind-bending Three-Body Problem could offer a unique and long-awaited cinematic interpretation for fans. No release date has been set yet for the highly-anticipated project.
