3 Body Problem's Ending Promise Is What Game Of Thrones' Creators Said About HBO's Show (With 1 Key Difference) (2024)

Game of Thrones creators' promises surrounding 3 Body Problem's upcoming seasons may seem reminiscent of what they said about the HBO show, but one key difference makes the Netflix series' future much brighter. Since Liu Cixin's Three Body Problem book series already has a well-established reader base, many looked forward to Netflix's adaptation of the same. The Netflix series even generated more hype and anticipation when it was confirmed that , were helming it.

However, along with being excited, many viewers were also mildly concerned about the books' television adaptation because of how poorly Game of Thrones' final season was received. Fortunately, all doubt and skepticism surrounding the series was buried when it premiered on Netflix and garnered positive reviews from viewers and critics. Following the show's season 1 success and its season 2 confirmation, Benioff & Weiss have revealed their plans for its future, which reminds one of what they initially said about Game of Thrones.

Benioff & Weiss' 3 Body Problem Plan Repeats Game Of Thrones Ending Comments

Benioff & Weiss Plan For 3 Body Problem's Future Is Both Exciting & Concerning

In a recent interview (via THR), about their plans for the show's future after Netflix renewed the series for another season. Weiss said they have already prepared a roadmap for how they wish to end the show and even know how many more hours they will need to tell the remaining story from the original Liu Cixin book trilogy. Benioff further affirmed that they have enough time to reach the end of the original books' story, which is "immensely gratifying."

Considering how Netflix's history of sci-fi show cancelations left many concerned about 3 Body Problem's future, it is great that Benioff and Weiss are getting the opportunity to materialize their ideas for the sci-fi series. However, considering how the showrunners made similar claims about Game of Thrones' ending, it is hard not to be cautiously optimistic about their foresight. As far back as 2007 (via Variety), Benioff and Weiss mapped out how they intended to adapt George R. R. Martin's books. In 2014 (via EW), the two also deduced they would not need more than 7 or 8 seasons to end Game of Thrones.

Around Game of Thrones season 6, Benioff & Weiss even confirmed (via Variety) that they would need 13 more episodes to close the HBO series on a high note. The two showrunners' ability to have a holistic, far-sighted view of their shows is commendable because it gives them a comprehensive outlook towards all story elements and helps them craft a narratively cohesive series. However, the fact that Game of Thrones' ending was met with immense criticism and disliked by many for rushed story elements suggests Benioff & Weiss' plans could go wrong.

Why 3 Body Problem's Ending Has A Big Advantage Over Game Of Thrones

Unlike Game Of Thrones, The Three Body Problem Book Series Has Been Completed

Fortunately, 3 Body Problem already has a significant edge over Game of Thrones, affirming that Benioff & Weiss may be right about how much more time they would need to complete the Netflix series. Game of Thrones had an incredibly strong run and was almost unanimously touted as one of the greatest television shows when Benioff & Weiss were directly adapting story beats from the original George R. R. Martin books. The show's critical ratings only started declining when the two showrunners ran out of source material content and started adopting original story elements.

Game of Thrones' fall from grace towards the end proved that Benioff & Weiss were better at adapting stories that already had a clear outline and conclusion. Unlike George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Liu Cixin's Three Body Problem books have already reached their natural ending. There are three books in the sci-fi series, and its third installment, titled Death's End, brings a well-rounded closure to the trilogy. This allows Benioff & Weiss to play to their strengths and formulate plans for the show's future based on what the books offer.

Is Three Seasons Enough For 3 Body Problem's Story?

Considering Season 1's Pace, Three Seasons Seem Perfect For The Show

Although there are some significant plot differences between Netflix's 3 Body Problem and the books, the show primarily adapts 90% of the first novel in the trilogy while including some story elements from the opening arcs of books 2 and 3. At its current pace, 3 Body Problem would probably not require more than three seasons to walk through all installments of the Liu Cixin trilogy. Now that Netflix has confirmed that 3 Body Problem will have a three-season run, viewers can be reassured that Benioff & Weiss will likely deliver a faithful and compelling adaptation of the books in all three seasons.

3 Body Problem

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Drama

3 Body Problem is a Netflix original series from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with Alexander Woo. Based on the novel of the same name by Liu Cixin, 3 Body Problem centers on a detective who joins forces with a group of scientists after an unknown force begins killing scientists around the world.

Cast

Saamer Usmani with Shailene Woodley , Jess Hong , Jovan Adepo , Benedict Wong , John Bradley , Eiza González , Liam Cunningham , Sea Shimooka , Tsai Chin

Release Date

March 21, 2024

Seasons

1

Writers

David Benioff , D.B. Weiss , Alexander Woo

Directors

Minkie Spiro , Derek Tsang

Creator(s)

David Benioff , D.B. Weiss , Alexander Woo

Where To Watch

Netflix