The directorial choices of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss might have been questionable (understatement of the year) when it came to Game of Thrones, but the creative partners are trying their luck with a new original series for Netflix. Goodbye, dragons — hello, aliens!
Benioff and Weiss have signed onto a Netflix project that fleshes out the intrigue of Chinese author Liu Cixin’s science-fiction trilogy Remembrance of Earth's Past. More commonly known referred to as The Three-Body Problem (the name of the first book in the trilogy), the plot follows the complications that arise in an alternate timeline after humans make contact with aliens for the very first time.
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As part of their deal with Netflix, the duo want to create an extensive world in which we see Cixin’s original story play out, similar to the sprawling universe of Westeros in GoT. Benioff and Weiss already have big plans for the series, predicting that the next several years of their life will be dedicated to the massive project because its original storyline spans from 1960s China to the end of the world.
"Liu Cixin’s trilogy is the most ambitious science-fiction series we’ve read, taking readers on a journey from the 1960s until the end of time, from life on our pale blue dot to the distant fringes of the universe,” said the pair the in an official statement. “We look forward to spending the next years of our lives bringing this to life for audiences around the world.”
Maybe I'm still reeling from the chaos of GoT's final season, but are Benioff and Weiss the right people for this project? Besides their reputation for ruining their own show — Bran got the Iron Throne? Really? — I don't know if I trust these two to stay true to the work, especially when it comes to casting the right people. GoT might have gotten away with barely having any people of colour in Westeros, but The Three-Body Problem is grounded in Chinese history and was written by a Chinese author. We can't afford to whitewash this epic tale.
But Netflix has the final say, and the duo even has the blessing of Cixin to adapt the story for the small screen. Cixin will serve as a consulting producer alongside Ken Liu on the project, and Rian Johnson and producing partner Ram Bergman will act as executive producers, working closely with Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainmen. Alexander Woo has been recruited to (showrunner of The Terror: Infamy) will pen the script.
“David Benioff, D.B. Weiss and Alexander Woo have experience tackling ambitious sagas over time and space,” said Peter Friedlander, vice president of original series at Netflix. "We all share the same goal: to pay homage to this incredible story and take members on the adventure of a lifetime.”
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