Netflix’s $160M Gamble On Returning Book Adaptation Proves It’s Levelling Up Its Sci-Fi Game

Published Jul 27, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns. Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies. After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Netflix surprisingly made a $160 million gamble with one of its most ambitious sci-fi shows. In hindsight, it is hard not to see how this gamble has paid off in more ways than one, paving the way for the streaming service to level up its sci-fi game. The show in question is also set to return for two more seasons, which makes the gamble even more worthwhile. There was a time when Netflix was the streaming home of some of the most ambitious and unique sci-fi shows, like Dark, The OA, Travelers, and I Am Not Okay With This. Unfortunately, over time, Netflix seemingly started playing a little too safe with its sci-fi outings, especially after the success of Stranger Things. However, recent shows like 3 Body Problem have proven that Netflix is regaining its lost momentum in the sci-fi genre. Even though 3 Body Problem's adaptation demanded a hefty budget, Netflix took a massive risk with the series. Two years after the sci-fi show's premiere, it is hard not to see how Netflix's big gamble is paying off well. Netflix’s Took A Massive Risk With 3 Body Problem, But It Was Worth It Image courtesy of Everett Collection Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy is notoriously heavy on theoretical astrophysics and vast multi-century timelines. Owing to this, 3 Body Problem was going to be a challenging adaptation for Netflix. However, with Game of Thrones' creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, at its forefront, Netflix made some big bets with the series. The streaming service reportedly invested $20 million in each episode of season 1, mounting its overall budget to $120 million. To put this in perspective, this made 3 Body Problem significantly more expensive than even the final, CGI-heavy, dragon-packed season of Game of Thrones. 3 Body Problem remains one of Netflix's most expensive shows even to this day. Fortunately, to a large degree, 3 Body Problem managed to justify its monumental budget by featuring some visually spectacular moments. While some viewers have been critical of the show's relatively linear approach towards adapting its source material, its visual elements, especially during the Panama Canal/Judgment Day sequence, are perfectly in tandem with the book's vision. 3 Body Problem also received positive reviews from most viewers and critics and even held its ground as the #1 show on Netflix for weeks after release. Interestingly, 3 Body Problem season 1 primarily focuses on the first book from Liu Cixin's original trilogy. The first book serves as a mere prologue for the larger scope of the story, which promises that even the Netflix show will only get better in seasons 2 and 3. This suggests the possibility that, beyond season 1, 3 Body Problem could prove to be even more commercially and critically successful. Since Netflix has already renewed 3 Body Problem for seasons 2 and 3, the show will also end its run on a conclusive note and cover the entire story from its source material. This again favors the Netflix sci-fi show. Netflix Has 2 More Ambitious Sci-Fi Shows Under Its Belt David Benioff and D.B. Weiss did a brilliant job of bringing Game of Thrones' existing source material to the screen. The HBO show only stumbled when the creators ran out of source material content and introduced original story beats. Since 3 Body Problem's original book trilogy already has a complete story, Benioff and Weiss get to leverage their strength of adapting complex source material without worrying about creating an entirely original ending. Speaking of book-to-screen shows, Netflix has two more promising sci-fi adaptations under its belt: The Eternaut and The Future Is Ours. Netflix's The Eternaut, based on Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López's comic book of the same name, premiered to unanimous acclaim in season 1. It is expected to get even better in season 2, which will mark the end of its run. An adaptation of Philip K. Dick's The World Jones Made is also in the works on Netflix. Titled The Future Is Ours, the upcoming show seems incredibly ambitious because it adapts one of Philip K. Dick's most philosophically dense and politically layered novels. If all goes well for both Netflix shows, they could further level the streaming service's sci-fi game. 3 Body Problem 9/10 Release Date March 21, 2024 3 Body Problem is a 2024 tv adaptation of the sci-fi novel, highlighting the lives of five scientists across continents as they grapple with groundbreaking discoveries. As established scientific principles falter, their intertwined personal and professional journeys unfold against the backdrop of an emerging global existential threat. Network Netflix Cast Jonathan Pryce, Rosalind Chao, Jovan Adepo, Bilal Hasna, Liam Cunningham, Eiza Gonzalez, Jess Hong, Marlo Kelly, Alex Sharp, Sea Shimooka, Saamer Usmani, Benedict Wong, Gerard Monaco, Vedette Lim, Sun Yan, Perry Yung, Li Fengxu, Steve H. Li, Guy Burnet, Emily Kimball, Stephanie Tarling, James Chu, Guo Tao, Ben Schnetzer, Adrian Edmondson Directors Minkie Spiro, Jeremy Podeswa, Derek Tsang Kwok-Cheung, Andrew Stanton Writers David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Alexander Woo, Madhuri Shekar, Rose Cartwright Main Genre Sci-Fi Creator(s) David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Alexander Woo Executive Producer(s) Alexander Woo, Brad Pitt, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff, Dede Gardner, Gao Xiaosong, Jeremy Kleiner, Lauren Ma, Lin Qi, Nena Rodrigue, Ram Bergman, Rian Johnson, Robie Uniacke, Rosamund Pike, Zhao Jilong, Bernadette Caulfield Producers Steve Kullback, Hameed Shaukat Seasons 1 Where To Watch Netflix