Netflix already has plans to expand its successful Korean-language thriller Squid Game with an American spin-off from The Killer and Se7en director David Fincher.
Squid Game is a survival thriller following a group of 456 desperate contestants who compete in a series of deadly games for a share of a massive cash prize. Following the first season's release in 2021, Squid Game went on to become Netflix's most-watched series ever.
Every Important Detail About the American Squid Game Series
David Fincher Has Been Working on Squid Game For the Past Two Years
News of an American Squid Game series first emerged in October 2024 when Deadline reported that Fincher was developing a new English-language series based on the IP for Netflix.
While Netflix and Fincher did not comment on the project, it is believed that the director has been working on the project for several years.
Even before Deadline's report, The Playlist revealed that Fincher started developing his Squid Game spin-off only a few months after the first season was released in 2021, which led him to halt development on a Chinatown TV series. This means Fincher has been at work on the Squid Game spin-off for over two years at this point.
The director's last project was The Killer which was released in 2023 and his next directing gig has not been announced but is speculated to be the new Squid Game spin-off.
British Writer Dennis Kelly Is Penning the Series
Apart from Fincher, there has been no further cast or crew attached to the supposed American Squid Game. However, The Playlist did share in its report that the series is being written by Dennis Kelly.
Kelly is known for creating Utopia (2013), a conspiracy thriller that was eventually re-adapted for the American audience with a Prime Video series in 2020. Fincher was originally intended to direct the episodes of the series which was written by his Gone Girl collaborator Gillian Flynn, but that never transpired.
However, the director's admiration for Kelly's writing was made clear, which may have led to this collaboration on Squid Game.
Kelly is also known for writing the book Matilda: The Musical and was a writer on The Third Day, Spooks and Pulling.
Netflix Denies the Squid Game Spin-Off Is Real
Naturally, interest in an English-language Squid Game series is high, but few details about the project have emerged. This is largely because Netflix has dodged saying anything about the American Squid Game series.
In February 2024, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos told members of the Korean press (via JoongAng Daily) that an American Squid Game series was "just a rumor."
Sarandos may be denying news of the series until there is something tangible to announce about it. Many projects in Hollywood fall over in development so it could be that Sarandos did not want to jump the gun with an announcement of a new Squid Game.
Another reason for the denial could be that Sarandos didn't want to take away any focus from the main Squid Game series which recently released its second season and will soon conclude with a third.
It is possible that Netflix doesn't want to overwhelm viewers with Squid Game content too soon (the streamer also has the reality series Squid Game: The Challenge on its slate) and is thus waiting for the main series to end before announcing any further spin-offs.
Without any sort of confirmation from Netflix or Fincher, it remains unclear as to what kind of series the American Squid Game is intended to be. It could be a straight English-language remake of the Korean series and follow the same plot with new actors and settings.
It could also be a spin-off telling a completely different story and set within the same world as the established Squid Game series. This won't be clear until Netflix chooses to provide more details.
Squid Game Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix.
