Lin Qi, executive producer on 'Game of Thrones' creators' new Netflix series, dead at 39 by alleged poisoning

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Lin Qi, an executive producer on "Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ upcoming Netflix series, died at age 39 after being poisoned. 

Lin was the chairman and CEO of Yoozoo Group, which he founded in 2009. The company was working with the TV creators on an adaptation of a science fiction series based on "The Three-Body Problem" trilogy of novels by Chinese author Liu Cixin.

The company confirmed the news of its CEO’s death in a statement. Lin was hospitalized on Dec. 16 and doctors quickly determined he had been poisoned. He died on Christmas Day.

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Lin Qi, Chairman and CEO of Yoozoo Games died by poisoning on Christmas Day. (Zhang Zhi/Red Star News/VCG via Getty Images)

"At 5 p.m. 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 the most likely the perpetrator. The suspect Xu has been arrested and investigations continue," the statement reads (via The Hollywood Reporter).  

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The outlet notes that local Chinese media has reported there was a dispute among Yoozoo Group’s executives that preceded the poisoning event, which allegedly was carried out by way of a cup of pu-erh tea that Lin drank. However, no real details about the crime or the person police apprehended have been made available.

David Benioff and D. B. Weiss are working on a new Netflix series. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for PEOPLE)

Lin was working with Benioff and Weiss on an adaptation of the popular science fiction novels for Netflix. The Emmy winners announced they were on board the project in September as one of their first TV projects following the controversial conclusion of "Game of Thrones" in May of 2019. The story revolves around humanity’s first contact with an alien race.

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In August 2019, Benioff and Weiss signed a reported $200 million production deal with Netflix to exclusively make content for the streaming service. 

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Representatives for Weiss, Benioff and Netflix did not immediately respond to Fox News’  request for comment.