Since its debut in March, sci-fi series “3 Body Problem” has been one of the most popular series on Netflix and has generated huge buzz among both audiences and critics. It boasts a 78% “fresh” rating with critics at Rotten Tomatoes, and an even better 80% audience score. TG’s Malcolm McMillan called it “the best show of 2024 so far.”
“Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss seem to have found their perfect follow-up with this adaptation of Chinese author Cixin Liu’s acclaimed novel trilogy. Along with co-creator Alexander Woo, they’ve delivered an early favorite for 2024 TV best-of lists.
It was no surprise, then, that Netflix announced in May that the show would return for "additional episodes." The exact number of seasons and episodes that will conclude the story have yet to be determined, but at least one more season is on the way. Here's everything we know so far about "3 Body Problem" season 2.
'3 Body Problem' season 2 release date window
Given that the order for more episodes has just been made, and the exact episode count for future seasons has yet to be determined, it's safe to say that it will be a while before "3 Body Problem" fans get to see any new episodes. Benioff, Weiss and Woo first have to convene their writers to start breaking the story, and both production and post-production on an epic, effects-heavy show like "3 Body Problem" take quite a long time. It was two and a half years between the time that production began on the first season and when it finally premiered on Netflix.
Even if writing begins immediately and the production process is expedited thanks to the show's popularity, don't expect to see another season of "3 Body Problem" on Netflix until late 2025 at the earliest. Spring 2026, which would be two years after the premiere of the first season, seems like a stronger probability.
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'3 Body Problem' season 2 cast
One thing that "3 Body Problem" has in common with "Game of Thrones" is its willingness to kill off major characters, which means that many of the main cast members from the first season will not return for future episodes (barring potential flashbacks). Liu's novels jump forward across significant periods of time, so it's possible that new actors may step in to play existing characters as well.
Characters who appear in the later books in the trilogy are likely to show up on the series in some form, although they may be changed significantly, just as the characters in the first season were substantially altered from the versions in the books.
For now, here are the series regulars from the first season whom we expect to show up again in "3 Body Problem" season 2.
- Jovan Adepo as Dr. Saul Durand
- Liam Cunningham as Thomas Wade
- Eiza González as Dr. Augustina "Auggie" Salazar
- Jess Hong as Dr. Jin Cheng
- Marlo Kelly as Tatiana Haas
- Sea Shimooka as Sophon
- Saamer Usmani as Prithviraj "Raj" Varma
- Benedict Wong as Clarence Shi
'3 Body Problem' season 2 plot
The first season of “3 Body Problem” ends with some pretty major open questions, so it seems likely that the second season will pick up there, to address the immediate resolutions to those cliffhangers. Liu’s novels span a period of hundreds of years, though, so there’s potential for the second season of “3 Body Problem” to expand its sci-fi world even further, with a grand, universe-spanning story of space travel and intergalactic conflict.
Benioff, Weiss and Woo have grounded Liu’s story in personal relationships to a greater degree than in the novels, and the story is likely to continue focusing on those relationships even as its scope expands across time and space. There’s the opportunity to add new characters as the story evolves, and the creators have also shown that they’re willing to make changes to Liu’s story in order to reach their target audience.
Benioff, Weiss and Woo have plenty of ideas for more seasons of “3 Body Problem,” and there’s a wealth of material left to adapt from Liu’s subsequent novels. “[Liu has] created this indelible trilogy and the books just get better for me,” Benioff told The Hollywood Reporter. “The second book is far better than the first, and the third book just completely blew my mind. The story just gets more and more ambitious as it goes, and it takes a huge leap in book two.”
Benioff, Weiss and Woo have said that they envision four seasons to tell the entire story, which is a typical number of seasons now for a successful streaming show. In a statement announcing the renewal, the creators said, "We’re thrilled that we get to tell this story through to its epic conclusion," which implies that they'll be able to include all the material they hope to cover.
Still, given Netflix's vague announcement about the renewal, it's possible they'll have to compress their plans into only two or even just one additional season, paring down some of Liu's story in order to fit Netflix's business model for such an expensive show.
