Netflix's latest science fiction offering, "The Three-Body Problem", made its grand debut in Austin, Texas, during SXSW, and if the skyline was any indication, this series is aiming for the stars. Commuters in Downtown Austin experienced a true spectacle last Friday night, as scenes from the show were projected 50 feet high into the night sky, a promo stunt that got everyone's heads turning up at the corner of 4th and Congress. They're doing it again Saturday, from 7 pm to 11 pm, and onlookers can get a glimpse of what the hype's all about ahead of its March 21 release on the streaming service, as reported by CBS Austin.
Not one to miss an opportunity for flair, the Netflix series, based on the critically acclaimed novels by Cixin Liu, was adapted for the small screen by the "Game of Thrones" duo, Dan Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Those tuning in will dive into a brainy narrative where a group of scientists confront oddities in the natural world that could spell doom for humanity. The Three-Body Problem grapples with a complex premise rooted in theoretical physics and astronomy — an alien civilization motley crew, including Earth, the sun, and the moon, all in one gravitational dance. The showrunners confirmed that their adaptation will stick to Liu's original trilogy, resisting the gravity of the unofficial fourth book, "The Redemption of Time", according to VentureBeat.
The glittering cast for the show, which includes the likes of Liam Cunningham, John Bradley, and Benedict Wong, was on hand in Austin to see the fruits of their labor ascend—quite literally. And judging by the foresight of Three Body Universe, the company managing the property, this could very well be the foray that brings Chinese science fiction into the Western mainstream. "The Three-Body IP has captivated a global audience, providing a fresh lens through which to view and understand Eastern approaches to solving world issues," CEO Cedric Zhao conveyed in a statement to VentureBeat.
With the scope of its philosophical and scientific underpinnings, "The Three-Body Problem" may very well pull audiences out of their orbit, making them ponder on our collective futures—with or without an impending space clash on the horizon. The public can see the larger-than-life Sophon, a central figure in the story, looming over them from the Austin night sky, inviting them into its complex world. Make sure to catch it before the weekend's out, or you'll have to wait until the rest of the world gets to marvel at this otherworldly saga come March 21 on Netflix.
