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‘3 Body Problem’ Sneaks To No. 2 On Netflix TV Charts After Streaming Debut — How Might It Continue To Grow?

Katie Campione
·3 min read

Netflix wants 3 Body Problem to take over the world.

The series, from the creators of Game of Thrones, invaded the streamer’s Top 10 in second place for the week of March 18 to 24. Launching on March 21, 3 Body Problem managed 11M views in its first four days.

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According to Netflix, 3 Body Problem reached the Top 10 in 93 countries. It was bested only by The Gentlemen, which tallied 11.7M views.

3 Body Problem is among a stretch of big-ticket launches for Netflix, which also included One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender. As of now, it is underperforming a bit compared to these series, which were approaching or surpassing 20M views in their first few days after launch.

RELATED: David Benioff, DB Weiss Share Why Barack Obama Turned Down A Role In ‘3 Body Problem’

One Piece tallied 19.3M views in its first full week (after about 18M in its premiere weekend) and quickly earning a second season. The Last Airbender debuted earlier this year, making it in Netflix’s Top 10 in 92 countries with more than 21M global views. That series was renewed for not one but two additional seasons.

No word yet on whether 3 Body Problem will get the same treatment, but it isn’t out of the question. It’ll be interesting to see how the series performs with a full week of availability under its belt, which Netflix is likely waiting to see as well.

RELATED: ‘Game Of Thrones’ Star John Bradley Didn’t Know What He Was Signing Up For With Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’

Right now, Netflix’s priority is getting as many eyes on the launch as possible. At this point, the streamer is no stranger to massive global campaigns, and 3 Body Problem is getting exactly that. On Monday, Netflix launched a global event tied to a pivotal scene from Episode 5 — hoping that audiences had binged enough to understand the reference. And if they didn’t, it would certainly pique their interest.

In 28 countries, screens lit up with the ominous message “You Are Bugs.” No spoilers here about what that means or how it ties into the story, but let’s just say it isn’t good.

Nowhere was safe, from train stations to marquees to graffiti on buildings, the message was everywhere. It was even across all of Netflix’s social accounts.

This includes both traditional and non-traditional approaches to marketing. For example, 3 Body Problem premiered at South by Southwest earlier this month, which is a fairly conventional way to launch a project and earn some early buzz.

Then, there was the more unorthodox component of the SXSW campaign. As attendees were walking to the Paramount Theatre for the showing, they were likely stopped by billowing smoke clouds and a massive 3D hologram towering above Congress Avenue. At first, it was difficult to discern what was going on, until the well known Netflix Tudum rang through the street. This was for 3 Body Problem.

3 Body Problem is based on the Hugo Award winning Chinese novel by Liu Cixin. The story spans across several generations where Earth encounters a hostile alien civilization, which hails from a different solar system that has three stars orbiting one another. The title is a reference to the three-body problem in orbital mechanics, exemplified by how this alien civilization’s system operates.

Unlike Avatar or One Piece, it’s a high-concept story that unpacks incredibly dense astrophysics concepts. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss might have a reputation for adapting the unadaptable, but it’s hard to deny that there may be some barriers to entry for certain viewers on this one.

Netflix is trying to ensure that these barriers are as easy to overcome as possible, launching a string of ancillary content, including a companion podcast and an eight-part video series digging inside each episode.

It’s a bit too early to tell how all of this will pay off for Netflix, but if all goes as planned, 3 Body Problem will be another title that transcends the television.

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