00:00 "As children, we fear the dark."
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 things you need to know
00:10 before watching the Netflix sci-fi series "Three Body Problem".
00:14 "There's no screen. There's no headphone jack."
00:17 "Three Body Problem" is an adaptation of a multi-award-winning sci-fi book series
00:25 penned by the Chinese author Liu Xuxin,
00:27 with the first installment first published in full in 2008.
00:31 The original series is a trilogy, known collectively as the "Remembrance of Earth's Past",
00:36 and this actually isn't the first time that it's been converted to the screen.
00:40 In fact, there are multiple past versions, including a 2022 animated series and a 2023 live-action.
00:47 According to those behind the Netflix show,
00:52 "Reading the books is not a prerequisite for understanding or enjoying it."
00:57 However, if science fiction is your bag, then there's a load of source material to sink your teeth into.
01:02 "Probably a beta tester."
01:04 "No, this is not beta anything. You don't understand, this was indistinguishable from reality."
01:10 But who are those behind "Three Body Problem"?
01:15 In short, it is a stacked production.
01:17 The series is created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, internationally known for "Game of Thrones",
01:22 plus Alexander Wu, a lead writer on "True Blood" and co-writer of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks".
01:28 The big names keep coming though, with a long list of executive producers,
01:33 including the likes of Rian Johnson, known for "Star Wars" and "Knives Out",
01:37 plus the actors Brad Pitt and Rosamund Pike.
01:39 The opening two episodes are directed by Derek Tsang,
01:42 while Pixar's Andrew Stanton takes the helm for an episode as well.
01:51 What's immediately clear from even the first trailers is that there's a fair amount of crossover
01:56 between "Three Body Problem" and "Game of Thrones" when it comes to acting talent.
01:59 John Bradley, Liam Cunningham and the one-time High Sparrow Sir Jonathan Pryce all have key roles in "Three Body".
02:06 That said, it's the MCU's Benedict Wong who heads the bill,
02:10 starring as Da Shi, an ex-intelligence officer tasked with investigating a spate of disturbing and mysterious deaths.
02:16 The role of Ye Wen Jie is said to be pivotal, but it's split between "Sweet Tooth's" Rosalind Chow and "Breakout" star Zin Seng,
02:23 with the character's key story playing out across multiple decades.
02:27 We've covered the background, so what actually happens?
02:45 It's always been acknowledged that while the series is faithful to the books, there have also been changes made.
02:51 For example, while the books are predominantly set in China, the show takes a more global approach,
02:56 with much of the drama set mostly in the UK.
02:59 According to Derek Tsang,
03:00 All tweaks have been made with the blessing of Liu Cixin, however,
03:13 and the central stories, themes and threats all remain.
03:17 The action begins in 1960s China during the Cultural Revolution era,
03:21 but ultimately, when one decision is made with repercussions beyond our planet,
03:26 the impact is felt for many, many generations to come.
03:29 In the here and now, there's the "Oxford Five",
03:40 a group of supremely talented scientists called to team up with Wang Zdesi under the shadow of a seemingly linked series of troubling deaths.
03:47 There's a recurring and ominous countdown that threads through the story,
03:54 and a growing realization that whatever's happening isn't only bad news for those who are directly caught up in it,
04:00 but is possibly catastrophic for all of humankind.
04:08 Why are people suddenly dying left, right and center?
04:10 Precisely what is the countdown counting down to?
04:14 And can five talented minds really unite to save the world?
04:17 "Three-Body" is packed with questions that need answering.
04:21 Among the biggest unknowns in terms of where the series will go
04:30 is how it will deal with the key concern in the "Three-Body" books,
04:34 an imminent alien invasion.
04:37 What's interesting is that much of the story is built not around alien life itself,
04:42 but around how we, the lowly humans, might deal with the emergence of an extraterrestrial force.
04:47 It also forces us to consider the question,
04:49 how might an otherworldly being view us if we ever were to be discovered?
04:54 And, most pressingly of all,
05:05 could we have any hope for survival if Earth was to be targeted?
05:08 Clearly, you need to watch the show to be in the know,
05:11 but the existential crises are always lurking in the background.
05:15 Possibly the most intriguing object in all of the trailers and clips pre-series launch
05:30 is a sleek and shimmering headset, which we see various characters put on.
05:35 "Prepare yourself for something very strange."
05:37 Now, in the year of Apple Vision Pro,
05:47 this feels like a pretty fortuitous piece of blending between sci-fi and the real world,
05:52 but that bit of kit is more than just a gimmick.
05:54 "Do you need a password or anything to log in?"
05:57 "No, you just put it on."
05:59 We get our best look at it in a pre-released clip featuring John Bradley's character Jack Rooney.
06:03 Netflix describes Jack as having, quote,
06:06 "used his physics degree to develop a snacks empire,"
06:09 but in this scene, he seemingly finds himself transported to a whole new reality.
06:14 To continue bleeding over into the real world,
06:23 there are various elements and potential plotlines in 'Three-Body'
06:26 that are actually more than science fiction.
06:28 "Whatever it is,
06:29 it's watching and listening."
06:33 In the books, Liu Cixin's alien group hails from the planet Tricelaris,
06:38 which is positioned in a far-off star system that's built around three suns.
06:43 Scientists know that triple star systems do exist in reality,
06:47 although Tricelaris itself isn't a real place.
06:50 More broadly, the 'Three-Body' problem is also a true phenomenon.
06:54 It's an unsolved physical conundrum to do with the laws of gravity and movement
06:58 whenever any system has three masses entangled together.
07:01 "We don't know what they are.
07:03 Maybe we can't know what they are."
07:08 Looking further ahead, there's also the Dark Forest Theory,
07:12 a real-world idea that advanced enough alien groups would creep through the universe
07:16 in fear of being discovered.
07:18 The theory gets its name from the second book in the 'Three-Body' trilogy,
07:22 'The Dark Forest'.
07:23 "You're scared.
07:24 You're right to be scared."
07:26 All in all, and in the run-up to this particular series,
07:32 the hype and expectation have grown and grown.
07:35 "They're going after our best and brightest."
07:38 But with that comes a huge responsibility to get it right.
07:42 In the eyes of some, 'Three-Body' perhaps represents a chance for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss especially
07:48 to re-emerge after a 'Game of Thrones' finale that didn't exactly go down well.
07:53 "You're my queen."
07:54 It's encouraging then that they and Alexander Wu are on record many times over,
07:59 waxing lyrical about the 'Three-Body' books.
08:01 Meanwhile, among the series' other most notable readers are the former US President Barack Obama,
08:06 head of the metaverse Mark Zuckerberg,
08:08 and also the author of 'Thrones' source material 'A Song of Ice and Fire',
08:12 George R.R. Martin.
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08:28 Okay, so this isn't exactly something to know before watching,
08:35 but it could be very important as to how the story pans out.
08:39 "The unknown troubles us."
08:42 The initial series is set for eight episodes, all coming in at roughly one hour long.
08:47 However, and as we've seen, there's a wealth of story in the original novels,
08:51 and surely far too much to cover in just those eight installments.
08:55 "What happened to them?"
08:56 There are then rumors of a 'Dark Forest' specific follow-up,
09:00 and perhaps one day we'll make it to the final book, 'Death's End'.
09:03 For now, what is certain is that 'Three-Body' will have a companion podcast series,
09:08 featuring the British space scientist Dame Maggie Adairan Pocock.
09:12 "Christ, another countdown."
09:16 So what's your verdict on 'Three-Body Problem'?
09:18 Are you excited to see it? Have you read the books?
09:21 Let us know your take in the comments.
09:23 "Whoa, you were not invited."
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