It’s been an anxious time for Netflix subscribers desperate to find out if sci-fi series, 3 Body Problem, would be granted the opportunity to continue its story, but those prayers have finally been answered after the streaming service confirmed a renewal.
The methodology behind which original shows do or don’t get rewarded with additional seasons is largely data-driven, and having spent weeks as one of the most-watched offerings on the platform since its premiere on March 21st, Netflix has decided that the ambitious existential literary adaptation was worthy of being carried on.
However, the interesting thing about the 3 Body Problem renewal is the way that it’s been worded. It hasn’t explicitly been labelled as a second season, and the fact the company has promised the story will be allowed to reach its natural conclusion could offer an indication that it’ll be a multi-season affair.
After all, author Liu Cixin’s source material is a trilogy comprised of The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest, and Death’s End, which combine to form the Remembrance of Earth’s Past saga. Seeing as Netflix has neither confirmed nor denied how much or how little additional content is to come beyond saying ‘3 Body Problem Returns’, it’s not out of the question to think it might be a two-season deal.
The streamer has confirmed that information will be revealed further down the line, so for now, it’s time for fans of the show to rejoice regardless of how many more episodes are to come. Showrunners David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo have previously hinted of a four-season arc to cover all three books, though, so everything remains slightly up in the air for the time being.
Either that, or 3 Body Problem will condense the trio into two eight-episode seasons of television, but it’s fun to speculate. The eye-popping, extravagant, and thought-provoking series is about as hard as hard sci-fi gets on the small screen, which evidently hasn’t deterred viewers from devouring it in their droves.
In an official statement, the showrunners outlined their excitement for what’s to come. “We’re thrilled that we get to tell this story through to its epic conclusion,” it read. “Ever since we read the last page of Cixin Liu’s magnificent trilogy, we hoped we’d be able to bring the audience to the end of the universe with us. Here we go!”
Whether it’s one season, two, or even three, 3 Body Problem will be back, and that’s really all that matters.
