3 Body Problem. Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in episode 102 of 3 Body Problem. Cr. Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024
3 Body Problem is now in pre-production and gearing up for a production start in the coming weeks as the cast and crew reunite for the first time in a year or two following the end of production on season 1, which netted multiple Emmy nominations. Renewed for two final seasons, we’ve just gotten some photos from various cast members who are now on the ground and prepping for production.
As we reported earlier in the year, 3 Body Problem has a new filming location for its second and third seasons, with production for the most part moving to Hungary and Budapest for the forthcoming episodes. Season 1 was shot mainly in England.
The new filming location reflects a desire to bring down the budget on the new seasons, we’re told, and we got the specific intel from the Hungary Tax Credits document which suggested that seasons 2 and 3 will be 11 episodes in total (no confirmation on this yet) and the budget for the two seasons clocking somewhere around the $260M mark.
Benedict Wong, who plays Da Shi in the series, posted a recent table read with several items in the background completely blurred out, although not Jess Hong, who plays Jin Cheng. Hong, who is now the voice of 3 Body Problem in audiobook form, having just recently recorded The Dark Forest, has also posted numerous stories on Instagram in recent days, including a couple of snaps of Aidan Cheng, who plays Reg, as well as snaps of the iconic Budapest skyline.
Also spotted among the pictures is Icelandic actress Hera Hilmar, best known for her role on Apple TV+’s See, where she plays Maghra. Other prior roles include Mortal Engines and A Letter from Helga. No official word as to whether she’s been cast in seasons 2 and 3, but her inclusion in various cast photos seems to suggest she might be playing a role.
We can also confirm that Jean Philippe Gossart has boarded season 2 of the show as director of photography, having previously worked on projects like The Witcher, Into the Badlands, and The Wheel of Time. Jeremy Podeswa, who has been in and around Hungary for the past few months location scouting, is expected to be returning for directing duties in season 2.
More cast photos have also surfaced on Instagram in recent days, as wonderfully cataloged by the 3 Body Universe X account:
Season 2 of 3 Body Problem has a tentative shoot start set for July 8, 2025, and is expected to continue through August 2, 2027, with a break planned in between. As for when we might get season 2, that probably won’t be until 2027 at the earliest.
For more on the show as and when we get it, keep it locked here on What’s on Netflix, as we suspect we’ll get more details in the coming weeks directly from Netflix.
We’d also recommend following 3bodyuniverse on X, as they track all things related to the Netflix show and beyond, covering the newly opened 4D experience in Beijing, as well as the audiobook in more detail.