The new Netflix series 3 Body Problem is a white-knuckle thriller that brings science fiction into a new light. However, it appears the real drama surrounds those involved in creating the series as opposed to the series itself.
According to a recent report, Yoozoo Games’ former executive, Xu Yao, has been sentenced to death after he was found guilty of the murder of Lin Qi. Lin Qi was the founder of the high-profile Chinese gaming company. He was poisoned by his former colleague in December 2020, who wasn’t happy with the way that the company was being run.
Lin Qi, who was 39 years old at the time, died ten days after he was initially poisoned. Following some early investigations from the police, Xu Yao was detained a few days later. Xu was 43 years old when he was taken into custody.
Lin wasn’t the only person impacted either, as four other people were taken ill following the poisoning; however, they didn’t die. The disputes between Lin and Xu took place between September and December 2020.
The court found that Xu’s actions were premeditated and had endangered not only Lin’s life but also the public at large. It confirmed, “His motive for the crime was extremely despicable, the means of the crime was extremely malicious, the harmful consequences were extremely serious, the subjective malignancy was extremely significant.”
The gaming company Yoozoo own the rights to The Three Body Problem. It was initially a best-selling Chinese fiction trilogy but is now renowned for being the newest hit series on Netflix. The company had worked with the Game of Thrones producers previously on the adaptation, Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming, a game based on the hit series. As such, when Netflix enquired about turning Three Body Problem into a series, the company immediately looked towards the Game of Thrones showrunners to put the program together.
The novel was initially translated into English in 2012 and became a hit immediately. It was the first Asian novel to ever win a Hugo Award for best novel, and the new Netflix series hopes to do the subject material justice.
This is still a developing story. Given the severity of the sentence, the case may be appealed, but there is yet to be any comment from Xu’s legal team. More information will follow when it becomes available.
