China』s most popular sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem may become an Amazon series

Amazon is reportedly in talks to make the groundbreaking Chinesesci-fi trilogy The Three-Body Problem into a TV show -- but anothercompany maintains the rights are theirs alone.

The hugely popular series counts Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerbergamong its readers. The original entry made author Liu Cixin thefirst Asian author ever to win Best Novel at the Hugo Awards, whichfocus on sci-fi and fantasy books.

Set during the Cultural Revolution, the series tells the storyof a secret Chinese military project that makes contact with analien civilization -- which then decides to invade the Earth.

The Financial Times says Amazon is in talks to acquire therights, and may spend up to US$1 billion to produce threeseasons based on the series.

YooZoo Pictures says they』re the only ones with the rights to theseries and will develop the series 「with a global vision and anopen attitude,」 according to a statement on Weibo.

But the company, better known as a game developer, tried to releasean adaptation of the series before. In 2015 it said it completedfilming of a movie based on the first book and would release it in2016, before postponing it indefinitely -- which could be why fansare now welcoming the news that Amazon may take over.

One poster on Weibo said, "Oh my god, please sell the rightsto Amazon. Don't mess this up."