Netflix has reportedly scrapped David Fincher’s planned English-language Squid Game spin-off.
According to sources cited by a foreign media outlet, internal interest in the project waned over a multi-year development period marked by executive turnover, leading the streaming platform to pivot toward alternative franchise plans.
For the past two years, reports indicated that Fincher was developing an American adaptation of the South Korean drama, envisioned as either a feature film or a television series.
Speculation grew in November when a listing from the Film & Television Industry Alliance stated that a project titled Squid Game: America was set to begin shooting in Los Angeles in February.
The production, however, did not move forward. Fincher’s spin-off, which operated under the working title Heckler, also featured screenwriter Dennis Kelly, creator of the 2013 British thriller Utopia.
The shelving marks another unrealised collaboration between Fincher and Kelly, who previously worked together on a planned HBO remake of Utopia that was cancelled over budget concerns, as well as a World War Z sequel script that did not progress.
Instead of Fincher’s adaptation, Netflix is now reportedly focusing on developing versions of Squid Game tailored for other international markets, such as France and Norway.
Squid Game remains one of Netflix’s most-watched properties, having spawned reality extensions like Squid Game: The Challenge.
