Netflix cancels David Fincher’s ‘Squid Game’ spin-off

Netflix has scrapped the English-language spin-off of its South Korean hit Squid Game, which was set to be directed by David Fincher.

The project, developed under the working title Heckler, has officially been shelved. Rumors that Fincher was working on his own take on the franchise had circulated for more than two years, but the series never made it into production.

The spin-off was conceived as an English-language expansion of the original series, although filming was expected to take place in the UK rather than the US. The script was being written by Dennis Kelly, creator of the British series Utopia. According to sources, Netflix’s priorities shifted during the years the project spent in development, with the streamer now more interested in producing localized versions for individual markets rather than investing in a single major English-language spin-off. The project also reportedly “lost all momentum” while Fincher was occupied with other films.

The cancellation also puts an end to a popular fan theory. After Cate Blanchett made a surprise appearance as an American recruiter in the Squid Game finale, many viewers interpreted the cameo as a setup for Fincher’s spin-off. However, The Playlist notes that Blanchett was never attached to Heckler, while series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had previously denied any connection between her appearance and the English-language project.

The cancellation does not mark the end of Fincher’s relationship with Netflix, as his deal with the streamer remains in place. The director has already completed filming The Adventures of Cliff Booth, starring Brad Pitt, with a reported budget of around $200 million. For Kelly, this is not the first planned collaboration with Fincher to fall apart. The pair previously worked on an American adaptation of Utopia for HBO and a sequel to World War Z, neither of which ultimately moved forward.