Perhaps not entirely surprising, considering it was adapted by the creators of Game of Thrones, another notoriously expensive show to make. But, like 3 Body Problem, very successful and, its final season notwithstanding, also popular with critics.
In fact, RadioTimes.com bestowed the series five stars, calling it a "flawlessly executed high-end production".
Wondering when season 2 will land and which cast members will be back? Read on for all the details.
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Will there be a 3 Body Problem season 2?
Yes! Netflix has renewed 3 Body Problem for season 2.
The streamer confirmed the news in May, bringing creators Alexander Woo, DB Weiss and David Benioff closer to their vision for adapting all three novels and "get to the end" of story.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com as season 1 was released, Woo said: "Well, the most immediate hope is that there's a second one, one thing at a time, today is the first day where we'll find out… the ball has started rolling down the hill, and we'll see how how far we'll go.
"Beyond that, it's the book trilogy – three books, roughly maybe three seasons, but that third book is quite long, so it might be a little bit more."
He continued: "I mean, the thing I think we all agree on is we want to get to the end. And that end image, the ending of the book, is something that we're all deeply, deeply excited about, because it ties everything together in such a beautiful way.
"It will take more than two seasons. But whether it takes three or four or some other number, it's hard to say."
The creators of the show echoed these thoughts in a recent interview on Inside Total Film podcast, with Woo saying: "Well, there’s three novels in the trilogy.
"The novels get longer and longer so I wouldn't say it maps out exactly to three. We have some really strong ideas about what to do in a season two, and then it’s a little hazier down the line. But we want to get to the end, we want to get to the end of the trilogy, and whether that's three or four, you know, or some other number.”
Ahead of 3 Body Problem's release, the series co-creators all revealed the surprising news that the were already working on season 2, work which will pay off now that it has been given the go ahead.
Weiss revealed in an interview with Collider: "For season 2, we’ve got better than a rough idea. We’re much farther along with that plan than rough idea stages. From there on out it becomes, you know, the farther away things get the hazier your view of them is.
"But there, in the third book, there’s so many amazing landmarks, in terms of scenes and situations and events that we can see pretty clearly, that we know, we’re not completely sure how our characters are gonna get to that place, but we know they gotta get to that place. Because that place and that place and that place are the reason we pick these books up and wanted to adapt them in the first place."
Benioff also explained that while the first season adapts Liu’s first book, The Three-Body Problem, a potential second season would tackle second book, The Dark Forest. The third book though, Death’s End, is so long that the showrunners think it could require more than one season.
He told Collider: "The third book is massive. It’s twice as long, I think, as the other two books. So maybe that’s one season, maybe it’s two. But, you know, I think we’d need at least three, maybe four seasons to tell the whole story."
When could 3 Body Problem season 2 be released?
There's no telling when a potential second season of 3 Body Problem could be released, but seeing as the showrunners have admitted to be further along in their planning process than just the rough ideas stage, it could be a speedier turnaround than season 1.
The first season of the sci-fi series was announced back in 2020, with casting and directors then announced the following year.
Later in 2021 was when filming kicked off in the UK, with a release date of March 2024. So, as we said, there's no real inclination as to when we can expect season 2 seeing as there's been such a lead-up to release for season 1.
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Who will return for 3 Body Problem season 2?
As for who could be returning for a second outing, we expect many of the same characters to make an appearance, with a focus on the Wallfacer Project and the four individuals who are granted almost absolute power to design secret strategies because of it.
While we're sure a potential season 2 will also bring some new faces, the season 1 characters we can expect not to return include Will Downing (Alex Sharp), who was diagnosed with terminal cancer but was then launched off into space.
We definitely wouldn't imagine Mike Evans (Jonathan Pryce) will be returning, seeing as he was killed off, as well as Jack Rooney (John Bradley), who met his demise in a gruesome way.
The 3 Body Problem cast we'd expect to make a return for season 2 are as follows.
- Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand
- Liam Cunningham as Thomas Wade
- Eiza González as Auggie Salazar
- Jess Hong as Jin Cheng
- Marlo Kelly as Tatiana
- Sea Shimooka as Sophon
- Zine Tseng as young Ye Wenjie
- Saamer Usmani as Raj Varma
- Benedict Wong as Da Shi
- Rosalind Chao as Ye Wenjie
- Ben Schnetzer as young Mike Evans
- Eve Ridley as Follower
What could happen in 3 Body Problem season 2?
As for what could happen in the confirmed second season, as the showrunners have already confirmed, the hopes are that they'd be following the source material of Cixin Liu’s trilogy of sci-fi books.
The second book in the series is The Dark Forest, which focuses on the 'dark forest hypothesis' which states that many alien civilisations exist throughout the universe but they're silent and hostile in order to remain undetected.
David Benioff previously told The Hollywood Reporter that the second book is "far better than the first" — suggesting that a second season would be superior, too.
"At our first Comic Con [for Game of Thrones], someone asked if we’re going to get a second season. I remember saying there’s a scene that would happen in season 3 — I didn’t even want to name it, but 'RW', for people who know — if we can get there, I think we’re going to be okay.
"And there’s a scene in the second season [of 3 Body Problem] that I feel is — it’s not the Judgment Day scene [in season 1] — it’s one that happens in the second season […] things wildly escape, and there’s one scene, if we get to it, we’re golden — like when we got to the Red Wedding on Thrones."
Benioff added: "It’s something we’ve talked about with the Netflix guys, too. Liu Cixin’s created this incredible trilogy and the books just get better, for me.
"The second book is far better than the first, and the third book just completely blew my mind. The story just gets more and more ambitious as it goes, and it takes a huge leap in book two. So, I feel like if we survive to the second season, we’re going to be in a good place."
The synopsis for the second book in the trilogy reads: "Imagine the universe as a forest, patrolled by numberless and nameless predators. In this forest, stealth is survival - any civilisation that reveals its location is prey. Earth has. Now the predators are coming.
"Crossing light years, the Trisolarians will reach Earth in four centuries' time. But the sophons, their extra-dimensional agents and saboteurs, are already here. Only the individual human mind remains immune to their influence.
"This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a last-ditch defence that grants four individuals almost absolute power to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from human and alien alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown.
"Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead."
Is there a trailer for 3 Body Problem season 2?
Slow down! As season 2 has just been confirmed, there's no trailer yet, but we'll be sure to update this article when it lands.
3 Body Problem arrived on Netflix on Thursday 21st March 2024. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage, or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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