Zhang Yimou to direct film adaptation of 'Three-Body'

The Three-Body Project was announced by Wang Changtian, founder and CEO of Enlight Media, one of China's top three film studios, at a forum held within the framework of the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Wang said that director Zhang is in the early stages of preparation for the film. "We hope that Zhang Yimou can grasp the essence of Three-Body Problem and make some breakthroughs and innovations, and achieve some impressive hits in the international market," he said.

Director Zhang Yimou

The novel, published in 2008, is the first part of a trilogy by Chinese author Liu Cixin. In China, the book has been adapted into an animated series, a live-action television series, and has been widely broadcast on radio.

A film version was produced in 2016 but has yet to be released.

To date, the book has been translated into around 30 languages. Earlier this year, Netflix released a big-budget English-language TV series adapted by the trio behind Game of Thrones : David Benioff, DB Weiss and Alexander Woo. Netflix also recently confirmed that there will be more seasons of the series.

Science fiction used to be a genre that was largely ignored by Chinese film regulators. However, over the past decade, it has become mainstream and a big box office draw, reflecting the advanced skills and technological level of the modern Chinese film industry.

Image from Netflix adaptation

The 2019 film The Wandering Earth, directed by Frant Gwo and adapted from Liu Cixin's 2000 short story, is considered a breakthrough for the genre. It earned 4.69 billion yuan ($651 million) at the Chinese box office, and a sequel is expected to earn 4.03 billion yuan ($560 million) in 2023.

With a creative range spanning from arthouse films to comedies and martial arts, Zhang Yimou is considered one of China's most successful and richest directors. He is also a member of the "club" of directors whose films have grossed over $1 billion.

Over the years, the director has also received multiple lifetime achievement awards from major international film festivals and awards ceremonies. However, he shows no signs of slowing down, and according to multiple sources, Zhang Yimou has given up writing and producing to focus more on directing.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/truong-nghe-muu-se-dao-dien-ban-chuyen-the-dien-anh-cua-tam-the-185240618124700154.htm