Zhang Yimou, one of China’s most prominent and successful directors, is set to direct a film adaptation of the sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. The project was announced by Wang Changtian, the founder and CEO of Enlight Media, at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Enlight Media is one of China’s top three film studios, and Zhang has had a longstanding relationship with the studio, having worked as a creative consultant and directed several films for them.
Wang stated that Zhang is currently in the early stages of preparing for the adaptation. He expressed hope that Zhang would be able to grasp the novel’s essence and make innovative breakthroughs that could succeed in the international market. This adaptation is a significant undertaking, given the novel’s complexity and its established fanbase both in China and internationally.
The Three-Body Problem, first published in 2008, is the initial part of a trilogy by Liu Cixin. The novel has already been adapted into various formats in China, including an animated series, a live-action TV series, and a radio drama. However, a 2016 film adaptation was produced but never released.
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The book has been translated into approximately 30 languages, reflecting its international appeal. Earlier in 2023, Netflix released its own English-language adaptation titled 3-Body Problem, created by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo, who are known for their work on Game of Thrones. This version involved multiple production companies, including Bighead Littlehead, Plan B Entertainment, and Yoozoo Pictures. Notably, an employee of Three-Body Universe, Yoozoo’s subsidiary, was sentenced to death for the 2020 murder of Lin Qi, Yoozoo’s founder.
Science fiction, once discouraged by Chinese film regulators, has become a mainstream genre in China over the past decade, benefiting from the country’s advanced filmmaking skills and technology.
Zhang Yimou is known for his versatility, directing a range of films from intimate art-house movies to large-scale action spectacles. Some of his notable works include Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Full River Red. He also gained international acclaim for choreographing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Despite receiving numerous lifetime achievement awards recently, Zhang shows no signs of slowing down and seems to be focusing more on directing rather than screenwriting and producing.
