Netflix Abandons David Fincher’s Squid Game Spinoff Project

The proposed series, which had tapped Utopia creator Dennis Kelly to write the script, was designed to mirror the intensity of the original show while filming in the UK. Sources indicate that internal executive shakeups at the streamer and the project’s prolonged gestation period led to the final decision to move away from the adaptation. Speculation had previously linked Cate Blanchett’s surprise cameo in the series finale to the spinoff, but creator Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed her appearance served only to highlight the global reach of the organization behind the games.

With the Heckler project dead, Fincher has shifted his focus to The Adventures of Cliff Booth. This upcoming feature reunites the director with Brad Pitt, who reprises his role as the Hollywood fixer from Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Production on the film concluded in January, and Netflix has scheduled an IMAX theatrical release for November 25, followed by a platform-wide debut on December 23.