Netflix’s ‘Three-Body Problem’ Producer Lin Qi Dies After Suspected Poisoning

A Chinese Netflix producer and chairman of the Shanghai-based entertainment company Yoozoo Group has died after a suspected poisoning attempt.

In a statement, Yoozoo confirmed the death of 39-year-old Lin Qi without providing further details. Qi was recently admitted to hospital after experiencing various symptoms, although the company said two days ago that his condition was “stable.”

“The board of directors is sad to announce that we received a notification from the family of Mr. Lin Qi, the chairman, and general manager of the chairman of the company passed away on December 25th following unsuccessful treatment,” the statement read.

“The board of directors of the company pays the highest respect to Mr. Lin Qi for his contribution to the company,” the statement continued. “The company’s directors, supervisors, senior managers, and all employees expressed their deep sorrow over the passing of Mr. Lin Qi and expressed their deep condolences to his family.”

According to local officials, Qi is believed to have been the victim of a poisoning attempt from a 39-year-old executive with Yoozoo’s film and television division under the name Xu. The motives for the suspected crime remain unclear.

“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,” the Shanghai Public Security Burea wrote in a statement on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

“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 the most likely the perpetrator,” they continued. “The suspect Xu has been arrested and investigations continue.”

As head of the Yoozoo Group, Qin had recently signed a deal with Netflix to produce the Chinese sci-fi series Three-Body Problem in partnership with the directors of the Game of Thrones directors David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The decision has already proved controversial, with a group of Republican Senators sending a letter to Netflix accusing the company of “normalizing” China’s widespread human rights abuses by working with Liu, the original books’ celebrated author.

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