In the midst of all of the cancellations, Netflix‘s 3 Body Problem is sticking around for two more seasons. The hit sci-fi thriller premiered last March and centers on an astrophysicist who is sent to a secret military base in a remote region during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. After deciding to respond to contact from an alien planet, a group of scientists in the present day is forced to confront humanity’s greatest threat. The series is based on Liu Cixin’s novel Remembrance of Earth’s Past.
Netflix had revealed during its upfront presentation in May that the series was picked up for “all-new episodes.” In addition, creators David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo promised fans that the episodes will be enough to “tell this story through to its epic conclusion.” Since there was no indication of how many episodes, it was unclear just how the series would wrap up and when. According to Deadline, the creators have confirmed that there will be two more seasons of 3 Body Problem.
3 Body Problem going through Season 3 makes a lot of sense since there are three books in the series. The first book was released in 2006, The Dark Forest in 2008, and Death’s End in 2010. It can only be assumed that Seasons 2 and 3 will somewhat follow their book counterparts, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if episodes went off-book. Benioff, Weiss, and Woo made the confirmation during a 3 Body Problem Television Academy panel. Before that, they previously shared that the show was picked up for “seasons” but didn’t indicate how many.
3 Body Problem stars an ensemble cast that includes Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Rosalind Chao, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Jess Hong, Mario Kelly, and Alex Sharp. The show’s double-renewal is not so surprising, as it became an instant hit. As of now, it has a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 78% audience score. However, with the way renewals and cancellations have been going lately, especially at Netflix, no show is safe. So it’s hard to predict if it will be saved or axed, no matter how popular it is.
As of now, a premiere date and exact plot details have not been released for Season 2 of 3 Body Problem. It will likely still be a while until more information is revealed, but the wait will surely be worth it.