Netflix has abandoned the development of an English-language spinoff of the series “The Squid Game”, which director David Fincher has been working on for several years. This was reported by The Playlist, citing sources close to the director.
The project had the working title “Heckler”. Initially, it was conceived as an English-language continuation of the “Squid Game” universe. Still, the series was planned to be filmed not in the USA, but in Great Britain.
The script was to be written by Dennis Kelly, the creator of the TV series “Utopia”. Previously, he had already collaborated with David Fincher on the adaptation of “Utopia” for HBO, but that project was also not realized.
According to The Playlist’s sources, after several years of development, Netflix has changed its approach to developing the franchise.
The spinoff lost its prospects due to several factors, including personnel changes within Netflix management, David Fincher’s transition to other projects, such as The Adventures of Cliff Booth, and the company’s new strategy.
Now, the streaming service plans to develop separate local versions of The Squid Game for different countries and markets, rather than creating one big American spinoff.
Rumors about the project spread actively after the finale of “The Squid Game”, in which Cate Blanchett unexpectedly appeared. In the last scene, she played an American recruiter in Los Angeles, and many viewers took it as a hint of the upcoming series of David Fincher.
However, the creator of “The Squid Game,” Hwang Dong-hyuk, has repeatedly denied any connection between Cate Blanchett’s cameo and the spinoff.
Additionally, according to The Playlist, there is no confirmation that Cate Blanchett herself has ever been officially involved in the Heckler project, although the actress has previously stated that she would be “completely open” to returning to the franchise.