Game of Thrones creators say Cillian Murphy's underrated sci-fi movie Sunshine was inspiration for their new Netflix show

EntertainmentTVSci-Fi Shows3 Body ProblemGame of Thrones creators say Cillian Murphy’s underrated sci-fi movie Sunshine was inspiration for their new Netflix showWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentTVSci-Fi Shows3 Body ProblemGame of Thrones creators say Cillian Murphy’s underrated sci-fi movie Sunshine was inspiration for their new Netflix showWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Netflix) 3 Body Problem, the new Netflix sci-fi series from showrunner Alexander Woo and the duo behind Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, is pretty epic in its scope. The show, based on Chinese author Liu Cixin’s series of novels, encompasses decades, continents, and virtual realities, as well as a hefty dose of physics. It’s a far cry from the trio’s previous experience (HBO’s fantasy epic for Benioff and Weiss and shows like True Blood for Woo), so what were their points of reference? The showrunners watched Stanley Kubrick’s landmark 2001: A Space Odyssey “repeatedly”, Benioff admits toTotal Film in our new issueout this Friday, which features Road House on the cover. But there were other influential sci-fi texts, too – including an underrated ’00s film starringOppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy. “Danny Boyle did that movie Sunshine, which had moments of that awe-and-wonder feeling,” Weiss adds. “It’s not just about a monster chasing you and you need to get away. It’s the feeling of wonder that comes with great science fiction.” He also cites Tarkovsky’s Solaris. “That’s, in many ways, very different from this, but in terms of the feeling it gives you internally… For me that was something I would sometimes be thinking about with this.” 3 Body Problem, which features an ensemble cast including Benedict Wong, Eiza González, and Game of Thrones alum John Bradley, centers around a group of physicists faced with a mysterious countdown – and it’s all linked, somehow, to the actions of their mentor, 60 years previously, in post-Cultural Revolution China. 3 Body Problem is released on Netflix on March 21. And you can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Friday, March 1. This is one day later than usual, due to how the Leap Year falls. Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Check out the covers below: (Image credit: Prime Video/Amazon MGM Studios/Total Film) Pre-order the issue hereto bag your copy, orclick here to subscribe to Total Filmand never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it’s in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 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