‘Squid Game’ spin-off series by David Fincher in the works

David Fincher is reportedly set to develop an English-language version of the hit Korean series Squid Game for Netflix.

• READ MORE: ‘The Killer’ review: not quite top-tier David Fincher but he still hits the target

The Fight Club and Gone Girl director has been rumoured to be involved with the dystopian show for several months, and now Deadline have reported that he is “likely” to be committing his time to its English language incarnation in 2025.

This would represent the first scripted spin-off from Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean original, which debuted on the streaming service in 2021. The show instantly became a pop culture juggernaut, spawning an upcoming second season and a reality competition in 2023.

Deadline also report that Fincher’s version of the show will be written by Dennis Kelly, known for Utopia and The Third Day, as well as the film version of Matilda The Musical.

Fincher’s involvement with Squid Game has uncanny echoes of the director’s third feature film The Game. That 1997 movie, starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, also followed a regular businessman becoming entangled in a mysterious and deadly game that is beyond his control.

The new season of the Korean version of Squid Game, meanwhile, returns on December 26. A teaser trailer has given fans a taster of what is to come, with Gong Yoo’s mystery character The Salesman featuring heavily. The show has also been confirmed for a third and final season. Check out the season two trailer below.

Squid Game scored a four-star review upon its release in 2021, with Hidzir Junaini writing for NME: “The show’s sharp social critiques, suspenseful competition and sympathetic characters remain largely enthralling throughout. Yet, once Squid Game reaches its conclusion to reveal its puppeteers, its plot points become predictable and the series’ messaging becomes too blunt and didactic.”

Fincher’s latest film was The Killer, released on Netflix in late 2023. It also scored a four-star review with Lou Thomas writing for NME: “By many standards, Fincher’s latest would be a potential career-best film, but from the director of so many greats – from Fight Club to Gone Girl, it’s not quite top-tier. This sounds fussy and probably is. That said, The Killer is an entertaining, crowd-pleasing banger that stands up to multiple views. It’s a superior hit-man romp that doesn’t outstay its welcome from a director who misses the target less than his protagonist.”

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