After 3 Body Problem dominated the Netflix most-watched chart following its official release, many wonder if new episodes will happen in the form of a Season 2.
The series is based on a novel of the same name by Chinese author Liu Cixin and follows an astrophysicist in the 1960s who comes in contact with aliens, causing other scientists in the present day to deal with the implications.
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), the series features a star-studded cast including Benedict Wong, Jess Hong, John Bradley, and Liam Cunningham.
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Will There Be a Season 2 of 3 Body Problem?
Due to the show's success, many fans are curious if more episodes of 3 Body Problem will ever be released.
Officially, Season 2 has not yet been greenlit, meaning that, as of writing, there are no guarantees that the show will continue.
However, according to The Wrap, the series topped Netflix's most-watched TV shows list in its second week on the streaming platform, racking up an impressive 15.6 million viewers in that time frame.
What may be even more impressive, though, is that its second-week viewership numbers were higher than those during the week it was released, when it garnered 11 million views.
Although it has not been renewed for Season 2, these high streaming numbers increase its chances.
It is also important to note that co-creator D.B. Weiss is already hopeful that 3 Body Problem will return. He recently stated that they were already planning what would happen in Season 2.
Specifically, Weiss said that they had already "done a good amount of work on the second season" while also teasing that their goal is to do at least three seasons in total, if not more:
"We’ve done a good amount of work on the second season. At this point, the shape of it is pretty detailed in terms of character journeys and who lives, who dies, who goes where, how things function. The rest of it … there are three books, so that seems to suggest three seasons. The third book is very long, which might suggest more than three seasons, but we’ve already used a fair amount of the third book. It’s hard to know until you get there."
However, fans must understand that 3 Body Problem has a fairly sizable obstacle potentially preventing new episodes from being released - the money it costs to make.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, each episode of 3 Body Problem costs around $20 million, meaning that an eight-episode season has a price tag of $160 million, which is extremely expensive for a TV show.
Especially considering Netflix (which notoriously cancels seemingly popular shows (see Shadow and Bone)) is the home of 3 Body Problem, the amount of money it demands makes it that much more likely to not be greenlit.
Ultimately, Netflix will consider multiple factors before making a final decision on whether 3 Body Problem should return with Season 2. Some factors, such as viewership, will favor more episodes being released, but others, like the show's cost, will oppose it.
However, the coming weeks will also be telling as the streamer often looks at engagement and how shows perform weeks and months after their premiere. So, if 3 Body Problem continues to boast impressive streaming numbers through April and May, it will be much more likely to be renewed.
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What Could Happen in 3 Body Problem Season 2?
Considering 3 Body Problem is based on a trilogy of books and Season 1 largely follows the first book, Season 2 would most likely feature events from the second book.
Book two, The Dark Forest, features a time jump from Book one, so it is possible that Season 2 could do the same.
One of the major plot points of The Dark Forest is that Sophons (the AI robot that the Trisolarans (the aliens) put on Earth to communicate with humans and spy on them) can eavesdrop on human conversations and read digital communication. Hence, the humans have to figure out a different way to privately communicate.
To combat this, the United Nations creates the "Wallfacer Program." This program selects four individuals tasked with developing ideas and strategies that never leave their heads.
However, the Trisolarans come up with a counter to this - Wallbreakers. The Wallbreakers' only objective is to figure out the plans of the Wallfacers, so the conflict between the two groups becomes fairly important throughout the book.
So, if Season 2 becomes greenlit, the Wallfacers vs. Wallbreakers plotline from the second novel could be a major storyline on-screen.
Season 1 of 3 Body Problem is available to stream on Netflix.
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