In addition to the main Squid Game series and The Challenge, acclaimed filmmaker David Fincher is also developing a separate English-language Squid Game series. It’s also believed Dennis Kelly is on board to write the Fincher series. Beyond that, many details about the upcoming project are still unknown. Based on his past work, Fincher is an excellent choice to handle a Squid Game project. However, if Fincher’s Squid Game is simply a retread of the original South Korean series, then I believe Netflix would be making a huge mistake.
David Fincher Has Remade International Films Before
David Fincher has been nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards three times.
Fincher initially signed a four-year deal with Netflix in 2020, but after an extension, the deal will now go to 2027.
Fincher is one of the best working filmmakers today, with films like Se7en, The Social Network, Gone Girl, The Game, and Fight Club as part of his rich filmography. Fincher has also formed a partnership with Netflix in recent years, working on series like House of Cards, Mindhunter, and Love, Death, and Robots. Now, Ficher is set to work on one of Netflix’s most prized IPs with the English language Squid Game series. Because little about the series has been revealed so far, it’s unclear what direction Fincher will go in beyond the series not being in Korean. One direction Fincher could go in is to simply remake the first season of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game by following Player 456 journey through the games.
Looking at Fincher’s past filmography, the director has remade international films for an English-language audience. Before Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2011, a Swedish version came out in 2009. Since both films adapted the same novel written by Steven Zaillian, the American and Swedish versions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo featured similarities and differences beyond the language they were presented in. Because Fincher previously remade an international film only a few years after the original version was released, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see the filmmaker translate the first season of Squid Game for an English-speaking audience in the same way he did for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Squid Game Is Already Netflix’s Biggest Show
Squid Game Television Projects
Status
Squid Game Season 1
Released Sept. 17, 2021
Squid Game Season 2
Released Dec. 26, 2024
Squid Game Season 3
In-development; Expected to release in 2025
Squid Game: The Challenge Season 1
Released Nov. 22, 2023
Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2
In-development
David Fincher’s untitled Squid Game series
In-development
Netflix has been the home to many streaming hits over the years ranging from Stranger Things to Wednesday. Squid Game‘s first season was the most-watched Netflix original series in its first 28 days. The recently released second season of Squid Game also set a new Nefllix record by bringing in 68 million views in its first week, surpassing Wednesday as the best debut for a Netflix series. Given the international nature of Squid Game, it’s no surprise to see how well the series is doing on the streamer, and that success will likely continue with the upcoming third season.
Because the South Korean version of Squid Game has been so successful and viewed by a large audience around the world, remaking the series in English doesn’t make much sense. Unlike other remakes of international films in the past, Squid Game is already incredibly accessible on Netflix, given the nature of the streaming service. Moving forward with a retelling so soon on a service where many can watch the original might not find the same success, even with a renowned filmmaker like Fincher.
An American Squid Game Series Can Explore Different Games
The first season featured games like Ddakji, Red Light, Green Light, Dalgona, Tug-of-War, Marbles, Glass Bridge, and Squid Game.
If there is an American remake, then it would make sense for Fincher to have the players compete in games more in line with the culture of the country.
Squid Game might only be two seasons in, but it’s clear the world the series created can tell many more stories outside of the story following Player 456. This is evident with the idea that the world’s wealthiest people put the games together to find some excitement in their lives. With the original Netflix series based in South Korea, it’s easy to imagine more of the deadly games taking place around the world. Instead of taking place in South Korea, Fincher’s Squid Game series should take place in the United States or another country to differentiate it from the 2021 series.
“There are certain projects that are currently being made where they ask for my opinion a little bit more actively. So as far as I know, going forward, there’s going to be even more creative projects that come from the Squid Game universe, some of which I will be more involved in.” — Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk on the future of the Squid Game franchise.
The first way this can occur is with the games themselves since the first two seasons of Squid Game feature games related to South Korean Culture, such as Dalgona and Gonggi. Therefore, an American version can feature games like Tag or Hide and Seek to change what audiences can expect from the twisted competition. Of course, there’s also the political angle an American Squid Game series can delve into with the number of people suffering from student loan debt and other financial situations in the country. One of Squid Game‘s strongest traits is how it calls out the financial disparity in the world, and that message can continue with the focus on people from different sides of it.
Unlike major studios like Waner Bros. and Disney, Netflix has either needed to acquire the rights to existing franchises or create its own to compete in today’s entertainment landscape. So far, the streaming service has found a ton of success with Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and others. Now, Squid Game has become the biggest of them all based on viewership and is quickly becoming a global phenomenon. When franchises achieve as much success as Squid Game, expansion isn’t far behind and Netflix is already looking for a way to do this with the South Korean-based series. After Squid Game‘s third season, Netflix will look to continue the franchise’s success with a new series from Fincher.
Fincher tapping into the Squid Game franchise feels like the perfect match due to the director’s previous work dealing with the dark and twisted nature of the world. Squid Game will likely be no exception if it becomes a reality. Many franchises like Star Wars have expanded with new original stories set in the universe, and Fincher’s Squid Game should go in the same direction since there’s plenty of potential with a story set in America. A retelling of Squid Game‘s first season would be a major mistake for the franchise based purely on how successful the series has been. Audiences will want to see something new, and Fincher is someone who can deliver something just as thrilling as Hwang Dong-hyuk’s original series through an American lens. The Squid Game series has been a success for a reason, and going in a new direction with Fincher is exactly what the Netflix franchise will need following its third and final season.
