David Fincher’s SQUID GAME: AMERICA Is Reportedly Dead at Netflix
It looks like the invitation to the games has been revoked. As you know, David Fincher has been developing and American version of the Squid Game series at Netflix, but the project has reportedly been killed.
According to The Playlist, sources close to Netflix say Fincher’s planned Squid Game project isn’t moving forward. Exactly what the filmmaker had planned remains something of a mystery.
Reports never completely nailed down whether it would have been a straight American remake, a spin-off, or a continuation that expanded the mythology established by the Korean series.
Whatever version Fincher was developing, it appears to be over. As recently as November, Squid Game: America was reportedly looking at a 2026 production start.
The Season 3 finale of the original series seemed to crack the door wide open for an American chapter when Lee Byung-hun’s Front Man traveled to the United States to deliver Gi-hun’s winnings to his daughter. During his trip, he spotted a recruiter, played by Cate Blanchett, playing ddakji with a potential new contestant.
It was a nasty little reminder that the operation was much bigger than the games we had been watching. The people running these competitions weren’t limited to Korea. Similar games could be operating in cities all over the world, preying on desperate people who see no other way out.
Blanchett’s appearance naturally kicked speculation about a U.S.-based series into high gear, especially with Fincher already attached to an English-language project. It seemed like Netflix had planted the seed for whatever was coming next.
Apparently, that seed isn’t growing into Fincher’s Squid Game: America, which is a shame and a surprise considering how popular and successful the Squid Game franchise has become.
But, Netflix hasn’t completely abandoned the idea of taking Squid Game international. Instead, there may be loose plans being discussed for regional spin-offs set in different countries. Why the American setting didn’t work out is anyone’s guess.
As for Fincher, he certainly isn’t sitting around wondering what to do next. He’s currently directing The Adventures of Cliff Booth, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel starring Brad Pitt, for Netflix. So while his trip into the world of Squid Game appears to have ended, his relationship with the streamer is very much alive.
Netflix also isn’t putting the entire franchise back in its pink jumpsuit locker. Squid Game: The Challenge, the reality competition inspired by the original series, is continuing and keeps the brand active while Netflix figures out what the fictional side of the franchise looks like after Season 3.
It’s still a little disappointing that we apparently won’t get to see Fincher’s interpretation of Squid Game. The director behind Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, and The Social Network seemed like an almost ridiculously good match for a story built around desperation, wealth, manipulation, violence, and deeply messed-up human behavior.
For now, though, David Fincher’s Squid Game has received the ultimate red light.
Game over.