David Fincher's planned "Squid Game" spin-off is reportedly dead in the water at Netflix after years of development. The David Fincher’s ‘Squid Game’ Spinoff Scrapped At Netflix first appeared on The Blast

David Fincher‘s reported planned expansion of the “Squid Game” universe has apparently been shelved. Netflix is said to have moved away from the project as its approach to the global franchise evolved.

The decision reportedly followed shifting priorities at the streamer as Fincher focused on other projects.

Netflix Pulls Plug On David Fincher’s ‘Squid Game’ Spinoff

David Fincher’s long-rumored “Squid Game” spinoff is reportedly dead at Netflix after spending years in development.

Sources close to the filmmaker told The Playlist that the streamer is no longer moving forward with “Heckler,” the working title for Fincher’s planned English-language take on the hit Korean franchise. The project was conceived as an American version of “Squid Game,” although filming was expected to take place in the UK.

“Utopia” creator Dennis Kelly had reportedly been tapped to write the series, with development dating back to a period when Netflix was eager to expand “Squid Game” with a U.S. adaptation.

Cate Blanchett’s ‘Squid Game’ Cameo Wasn’t A Spinoff Tease

According to insiders, Netflix’s franchise priorities changed amid executive shakeups and the project’s lengthy development process.

The report comes after Cate Blanchett’s surprise appearance as an American recruiter in the “Squid Game” series finale. Her character is seen playing ddakji, a Korean game in which players try to flip a folded paper tile by striking it with another, with a man in a Los Angeles alley.

The cameo fueled speculation that she could be connected to Fincher’s project. However, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk denied that her cameo was intended as a setup for the spinoff. According to The Playlist, “Heckler” was never developed around Blanchett or her character.

Director Hwang Explains Why Blanchett Was Cast

Hwang had a very specific idea in mind when choosing Blanchett for the brief but memorable role in “Squid Game.” The creator told Netflix’s Tudum that he wanted the American recruiter to be a woman because he believed the choice would make the character more “dramatic and intriguing.”

Blanchett then emerged as his ideal candidate because the part required an actor capable of commanding attention with very little dialogue. “She’s just the best, with unmatched charisma,” Hwang said, adding that the production needed someone who could “dominate the screen with just one or two words.”

He also viewed Blanchett’s character as a deliberate counterpart to Gong Yoo’s recruiter from the Korean storyline. “If Gong Yoo is the Korean Recruiter, I thought she would be the perfect fit as the American Recruiter,” Hwang explained.

For the filmmaker, the casting ultimately served the finale itself. He wanted Blanchett’s brief appearance to deliver a “gripping and impactful ending” without requiring an extended introduction.

Hwang Reveals The Message Behind ‘Squid Game’s L.A. Ending

Interestingly, Los Angeles was always part of Hwang’s plans for the ending, but not in the form viewers eventually saw.

The filmmaker told Vanity Fair that he initially imagined a happier conclusion to the season, which he ultimately abandoned as his ideas about the series’ message changed. That shift also gave Blanchett’s final appearance a larger purpose than simply teasing another series.

Hwang explained that although the Korean arena where the deadly competition was staged had been destroyed, he wanted the closing scene to show that the organization behind the Games remained intact. Blanchett’s recruiter operating in Los Angeles made that point clear by revealing that the same system was still finding new players in the U.S.

David Fincher Moves On With ‘The Adventures Of Cliff Booth’

While “Heckler” may have stalled, Fincher has been busy bringing another Netflix project to life. “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” reunites the director with Brad Pitt, who reprises his Oscar-winning role from Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Tarantino wrote the script, while Fincher stepped behind the camera.

Production reportedly wrapped in January, with the movie following Booth years after the events of the 2019 film. He is now working as a Hollywood fixer in a changing Los Angeles. The project marks the fourth movie collaboration between Fincher and Pitt. They previously teamed up on “Seven,” “Fight Club,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

Leonardo DiCaprio, however, will not return as Rick Dalton. The actor confirmed that he had been involved in early discussions but ultimately stayed out of the project, while praising Fincher as the “perfect man for the job.” Netflix plans to give the movie an IMAX theatrical run beginning November 25 before its streaming debut on December 23.

The David Fincher’s ‘Squid Game’ Spinoff Scrapped At Netflix first appeared on The Blast