Zhang Yimou Says ‘The Three-Body Problem’ Script Is Still Being Polished After Several Years: ‘It Is Very Difficult to Adapt’

Zhang Yimou is still reworking the script for his film adaptation of “The Three-Body Problem,” years into the process, the Chinese director said during the opening ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival, where he is president of this year’s competition jury.

Questioned by festival director Jung Hanseok, Zhang said he is currently preparing a new film, and that he had just been discussing with several directors backstage how hard it is to make a good one these days.

“‘The Three-Body Problem’ is a great science fiction novel, and I like it very much. But it is very difficult to adapt into a film, which is why we have spent several years polishing the script,” Zhang said. “We are still polishing it now. I hope this film will not disappoint everyone’s expectations, that it will satisfy the audience, and I hope we can make it well.”

Liu Cixin’s novel, the first book in his “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” trilogy, won the Hugo Award for best novel in 2015 in Ken Liu’s English translation, and has been adapted as Bilibili’s animated series “The Three-Body Problem” (2022), Tencent’s live-action series “Three-Body” (2023) and Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” (2024).

Jung raised the audience reaction that followed the announcement of the project, which he said had stirred as much worry as anticipation. Zhang said that once word got out that he would direct the film, he asked his company to collect online audience commentary, and it came back with around 400,000 comments in one week.

“I felt that people had a great many concerns. Audiences today have high expectations of us,” Zhang said. “In the age of AI, where visual media has become democratized, the audience’s discernment has risen considerably compared to the past. Because of that, we all feel tremendous pressure, and we hope not to disappoint their expectations.”

He added that he would look closely at what viewers want from the film in the hope of getting it right.

Zhang widened the point to the filmmakers at the festival, saying they all want to make a film that satisfies themselves. “Many people spend an entire lifetime wanting to make a truly great film, yet no one knows where that great film comes from. From a Chinese perspective, it might be luck – your effort combined with luck,” he said. “But regardless of luck, the love and passion for cinema in our hearts will always keep burning.”

Jung introduced the project as an adaptation of a sci-fi novel with an enormous global readership, and noted that Zhang, more than 40 years into his career, still puts out new work almost every year.

Zhang leads a seven-member jury for Busan’s competition. The 31st edition of the festival runs through Oct. 15.