3Body Problem is the new Netflix series from the makers of Game of Thrones and the start of a huge sci-fi story. But when will season 2 be available?
Since March 21, 2024, the science fiction series 3 Body Problem on Netflix has been showing us an alien invasion from a completely new angle. Because in the new series from the Game of Thrones creators, the alien San-Ti don’t land on Earth for another 400 years. After eight episodes, the epic story is far from over – and the invaders’ fleet is still far, far away.
Find all the important answers here: Will there be a season 2 of 3 Body Problem? When could it start on Netflix? And what do the end of season 1 and the original book reveal about how the conflict with the San-Ti might continue?
When is 3 Body Problem season 2 coming to Netflix?
The disappointing news first: So far, 3 Body Problem has not been renewed for season 2. As a rule, Netflix first assesses the development of audience figures in the first few weeks after the launch before making a decision. This can take up to two months. In the case of Avatar, for example, it was much quicker.
Even if the sci-fi series is extended in the coming weeks, fans have to be prepared for a huge wait. Based on the production effort of the first episodes, season 2 should appear on Netflix in 2026 at the earliest
Not on Netflix: Another 3 Body Problem sequel is already in the works
Netflix has lost the race for the first series adaptation of Cixin Liu’s sci-fi novel The Three Suns. In early 2023, the film adaptation Three Body was launched in China, which is a very close adaptation of the original with 30 episodes – more than three times as long as the Netflix adaptation.
In contrast to the Netflix version, the Chinese series has already been extended by a second season. Not only is a sequel based on the second novel The Dark Forest in the works, but also a spin-off series about the character Da Shi (played by Benedict Wong in the Netflix series). However, these projects are also not due to be released until 2026 at the earliest.
3 Body Problem: What happens in season 2
Warning, spoilers: Even though 3 Body Problem does a few things differently from the original book, the adaptation remains true to the most important developments in the sci-fi story. By the end of the first eight episodes, the course has already been set for season 2.
(Saul Durand gets a lot to do as the wall-shower)
After season 1 was based on the novel The Three Suns, the next season is based on the follow-up volume The Dark Forest. Some events from the second book of the Trisolaris trilogy have already been realized in the finale
This is how the end of 3 Body Problem prepares for the Netflix sequel
The so-called wall-shower project takes up a large part of the plot of The Dark Forest. We got to know it in season 1. These are people selected by the UN who work out solutions to the conflict with the San-Ti (in the book: Trisolarians) in secret. They are not allowed to share their plans with anyone in order to outwit the omnipresent surveillance of the alien Sophons.
In the original book, the four wall-showers were Frederick Tyler, Manuel Rey Diaz, Bill Hines and Luo Ji. In the Netflix series, there are only three: Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo), the Kurdish war heroine Leyla Ariç (Salem Murphy) and the Chinese general Hu Bo Lin (Clem Cheung). The main character Saul is a variation of the novel character Luo Ji.
Spoiler part: What the original The Dark Forest reveals about season 2
What the Netflix series has not yet revealed: The alien sympathizers confront the wall-walkers with so-called wall-breakers, who are supposed to find out their plans and smash them. But that’s by no means everything that the original The Dark Forest has to tell.
Without major spoilers: The development of human society in the face of the alien crisis comes more into focus. The plot also jumps further into the future, moving the story even more into the science fiction genre. Of course, there are also plenty of shocking twists in book 2 – including a huge turning point that the showrunners are already looking forward to.
Fans of the original can be prepared for the fact that season 2 will not be a direct adaptation of the novel The Dark Forest, but will also incorporate elements from the final book, Beyond Time. We already met the protagonist of book 3, Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), in season 1
