Derek Tsang to direct Netflix's 'Three-Body Problem'

Hong Kong director Derek Tsang is set to direct the first episode of the highly-anticipated Netflix original series, Three-Body Problem, based on Chinese writer Liu Cixin's award-winning sci-fi epic of the same name, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Derek Tsang is known for several critically acclaimed films including the romantic crime feature, Better Days, which was nominated for best international feature film at the 93rd Academy Awards, following an eight award sweep at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards.

Last year, Netflix was granted the rights to produce an English-language adaptation from Three Body Universe (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co., Ltd., and Yoozoo Group.

The team behind the project is a star-studded lineup of writers and executive producers led by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss and Alexander Woo, as well as executive producers Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, Brad Pitt and Rosamund Pike. Chinese executive producers include Lin Qi, the late chairman of rights-holders Yoozoo Group, and Zhao Jilong, CEO of the rights-holder, Three Body Universe, a subsidiary of Yoozoo Group.

The novel's author Liu Cixin has signed on as a consulting producer alongside Ken Liu, who translated the book into English, for which he won the prestigious Hugo Award in 2015. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss called Liu's trilogy the most ambitious science-fiction series they have read.

The plot revolves around young physicist Ye Wenjie's contact with an extraterrestrial civilization known as the Trisolaran and the subsequent centuries-long clashes between the aliens and humans.

Casting for the project is yet to be announced, however, actress Eiza González has reportedly been in talks to join.

The Three-Body Problem will also have a parallel Chinese-language adaptation entitled Three-Body produced by Tencent Video. According to Tencent Video, that project has been completed and is now in post-production. Yoozoo Pictures and Beijing Enlight Media also announced China's top animator, Tian Xiaopeng, will direct a new live-action film based on the novel. However, further details are yet to be released.