Netflix has reportedly chosen to shelve David Fincher’s American Squid Game spinoff series, according to sources close to the project.
Reports of the spinoff first surfaced in 2024, and it’s been slow going ever since then. Dennis Kenny, creator of the 2013 British thriller series Utopia, was attached to write the script, with Fincher set to direct.
However, nothing moved forward for months — at least, not publicly. Then, in November 2025, the show was listed on the Film and Television Industry Alliance website with the title ‘Squid Game: America.’ The site listed a shoot date for February 2026 in Los Angeles, but given this most recent information, it’s safe to say this is no longer the case.
Sources informed The Playlist about the spinoff’s cancellation, telling the outlet that Netflix’s goals for the franchise have substantially changed since Fincher’s version was first conceptualized. Insiders suggested that Netflix was initially eager for an American take on their record-breaking Korean series, but are now focused on exploring stories within the Squid Game universe in “individual international markets” — though whether that means country-specific spinoffs (such as Squid Game: Brazil, Norway, etc.) remains unclear.
The Playlist’s sources reportedly “stressed” that such regional versions of the show are not known to be in the development, though Fincher’s Squid Game: America seems to firmly be a thing of the past. As for why this happened, sources gave a few reasons, pointing to a long production process, changes at the executive level within Netflix, and Fincher taking on other projects like his film The Adventures of Cliff Booth.
This makes Cate Blanchett’s surprise appearance at the end of Season 3 even more confusing, though it was confirmed that her involvement in the show wasn’t tied to Fincher’s series. It did directly hint that there were more versions of the Games out there in the world, and set up a future follow-up exploring players and the VIPs in other countries.
Squid Game’s original creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, previously bandied about the idea of a spinoff series exploring what happens to its characters in the time skip between seasons one and two. However, he also confirmed that Season 3 was the end-all, be-all finale of the entire story, saying, “It’s the finale for the whole series. The whole show. It’s time to say goodbye.”
For now, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Netflix has planned for Squid Game as an IP, but those itching for more Korean thrillers on the streamer should turn their eyes to Mask Girl, another dark, time-jumping series that hits many of the same tonal notes (minus the deadly childrens’ games).
IGN has reached out to Netflix for comment.
Image Credits: Netflix
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
