Netflix Has Reportedly Killed Its David Fincher "Squid Game" Spin-Off
It looks like the American side of the Squid Game universe just got a lot smaller.
According to a new report from The Playlist, Netflix has quietly walked away from the English-language Squid Game spin-off that David Fincher had been developing since 2024. The project, which carried the working title "Heckler," is reportedly dead — no announcement, no press release, just sources confirming it's off the table.
If you'd forgotten this was even in the works, you're not alone. Netflix never officially confirmed a title, cast, or start date for the show. Most of what fans knew came from rumor and reading tea leaves, especially after Cate Blanchett showed up in the closing minutes of Squid Game's third season as a mysterious American recruiter playing ddakji in an LA alley. That scene set the internet on fire with speculation that Fincher's version was about to become real.
Turns out that scene had nothing to do with it. Sources close to the production told The Playlist that Blanchett was never attached to Heckler in any capacity, despite saying in interviews that she'd be open to returning to the franchise. Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had also downplayed any connection between his finale cameo and Fincher's spin-off long before this news broke.
What Was Heckler, Anyway?
The spin-off was pitched as an English-language take on the Squid Game format, with Dennis Kelly — creator of the British series Utopia — brought on to write it. Despite being billed as an "American" version, it was actually set to film in the United Kingdom. Kelly and Fincher had crossed paths once before, on an HBO adaptation of Utopia that fell apart years ago before Gillian Flynn eventually took the project to Amazon.
Why Netflix Pulled the Plug
Nobody at Netflix is publicly explaining the decision, but the reporting points to a mix of ordinary Hollywood reasons rather than one dramatic falling-out. Executive turnover at the streamer, Fincher's attention shifting to other projects — including the Brad Pitt film The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which just wrapped principal photography — and a broader rethink of where the Squid Game franchise should go next all reportedly played a part.
That last point is the interesting one. Rather than building the franchise around a single English-language flagship show, Netflix now appears to be leaning toward smaller, country-specific spin-offs tailored to individual markets. Nothing concrete has been greenlit yet, but France and Norway have both been floated as places where a localized version could eventually take shape.
Squid Game Isn't Going Anywhere
Even without Heckler, Netflix isn't done with the franchise. The reality competition series Squid Game: The Challenge is still around, though its second season saw a steep drop-off in viewership after Squid Game's third and final season wrapped up the story. The original series remains Netflix's most-watched show of all time, a title it's held since its 2021 debut.
For now, there's no confirmation of what — if anything — comes next for the franchise on the scripted side. Whatever Netflix decides, it sounds like the company would rather take its time than rush out a spin-off that doesn't land.
