Squid Game: Netflix shelves David Fincher's long-awaited American spin-off; Here's why

David Fincher's long-rumoured American Squid Game project may never see the light of day, as Netflix has reportedly shelved the highly anticipated spin-off. The project, which was reportedly being developed as a separate American-set story rather than a direct remake of Hwang Dong-hyuk's Korean original, had remained largely under wraps.

Why has David Fincher's American spin-off been shelved?

As per The Playlist report, sources close to filmmaker stated that streaming platform Netflix is no longer moving forward with Heckler, with the working title for David Fincher's English-language version of the Korean show, which became a global phenomenon. The project was initially conceived as an American adaptation, though production was expected to take place in the United Kingdom.

The main reason behind the reported decision of shelving the American version was because the series gradually lost its momentum slowly. It is claimed that several changes in leadership of Netflix, David’s involvement in different major projects, and the streamer’s new ideas concerning the development of the Squid Game universe were some of the reasons for shelving of the series.

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Dennis Kelly, creator of the original British series Utopia, had been hired to write the spinoff. Kelly and Fincher shared indirect history, as Fincher had previously been attached to direct an HBO adaptation of Utopia. That earlier project fell apart over budget issues before Gillian Flynn made a different version for Amazon.

Reports about Fincher's involvement first emerged several years ago, with later reports suggesting that he had been quietly developing the project with writer Dennis Kelly. However, Netflix never officially announced the series, and no production details or confirmed cast were publicly revealed.

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The speculation intensified after the Season 3 finale of Squid Game featured Cate Blanchett as an American recruiter in Los Angeles. Her brief appearance prompted fans to believe the sequence was setting up the much-discussed US spin-off. However, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk later indicated that the ending was intended to suggest that the deadly games could continue beyond Korea, rather than officially confirming an American series. Hwang had also previously said that Netflix had not officially informed him about a Fincher-led American project, adding another layer of uncertainty around the series' status.

All about the Squid Game franchise

Created by Hwang Dong Hyuk for Netflix, Squid Game is a South Korean dystopian survival thriller franchise. It depicts 456 financially desperate individuals risking their lives in deadly traditional children's games to win a massive cash prize.

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Season 1, first premiered in 2021, introduced Introduced protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and became a historic global phenomenon. Followed by season 2 in 2024, it followed the story of Gi-hun's return to the game to dismantle it, breaking major streaming records. The season 3 and the finale of the South Korean show was released in 2025, showcased the conclusion of the survival narrative.

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A reality competition television series titled Squid Game: The Challenge was released in 2023, which is an adaptation mirroring the show's setup with real contestants.