Chinese Executive Working on Netflix’s ‘Three-Body Problem’ Adaptation Allegedly Poisoned By Co-Worker

A Chinese executive who was working with Game of Thrones showrunners to create a new sci-fi series has allegedly been poisoned by a co-worker.

The Shanghai Police Bureau reports that Lin Qi, a 39-year-old executive involved in the adaptation of the beloved Three-Body Problem sci-fi trilogy, was admitted to the hospital in mid-December. After doctors determined he was poisoned, the police began to investigate. Their search led to Xu Yao, another executive at Lin's company.

"At 5pm on Dec 17, 2020, the police received a call from a hospital regarding a patient surnamed Lin. During the patient's treatment, the hospital said it had determined that the patient had been poisoned. Following the call, the police began an investigation. According to investigations on site and further interviews, the police found that a suspect surnamed Xu, who is a coworker of the victim Lin, was most likely the perpetrator. The suspect Xu has been arrested and investigations continue," the Bureau said in a statement shared by The Hollywood Reporter.

The firm, Yoozoo, purchased the rights to the series in 2015. Netflix negotiated a deal with that company to adapt the series for television. Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, as well as True Blood screenwriter Alexander Woo, are producing the new series. Yoozoo released a statement on the news of the poisoning after initially denying any corporate intrigue.

"Although the company’s management has recovered from the emergency situation last week and resumed normal operations, some friends are still uneasy and members of the public are curious," they said.

It's not the first time the adaptation has generated controversy either. Author Cixin Liu has supported the Chinese government's actions against the Uighur people, leading American politicians to question Netflix's involvement with his work. The streamer distanced themselves from Liu's opinions while carrying on with the production of the series.

"Mr. Liu’s comments are not reflective of the views of Netflix or of the show’s creators, nor are they part of the plot or themes of the show," Netflix VP Dean Garfield said at the time.