Netflix has reportedly cancelled its planned American version of Squid Game, which was being developed by well-known director David Fincher. According to sources quoted by a foreign media outlet, interest in the project slowly faded over several years of development, especially as key executives at Netflix kept changing. This led the streaming giant to shift its focus toward other plans for the franchise instead.
For nearly two years, reports suggested that Fincher was working on an English-language version of the hit South Korean drama, which could have been either a movie or a TV series. Talk about the project grew stronger in November, when an industry listing suggested that a show called Squid Game: America would begin filming in Los Angeles the following February.
However, that shoot never happened. The project, which had the working title Heckler, also involved screenwriter Dennis Kelly, known for creating the British thriller Utopia. This is not the first project between Fincher and Kelly to fall apart — an earlier HBO remake of Utopia was also cancelled due to budget issues, and a script the pair wrote for a World War Z sequel never moved forward either.
Instead of the American adaptation, Netflix is now reportedly focusing on creating versions of Squid Game for other countries, including France and Norway.
Squid Game remains one of Netflix’s biggest hits, having already led to spin-offs like the reality show Squid Game: The Challenge.
