David Fincher’s US Squid Game Moves Forward at Netflix, Plot and Filming Details Revealed

After months of radio silence, Netflix's American take on Squid Game is not only real, it has a title, a start date, and one very high-profile star. And yes, it is set in the same world as the original — which raises some questions given where season 3 left things.

The paperwork says it is happening

The Film and Television Industry Alliance has a new listing for the series, now titled Squid Game: America. Buried in the listing are all the key nuts and bolts, including who is involved and when cameras are supposed to roll in Los Angeles.

• Title: Squid Game: America
• Platform: Netflix
• Filming start: February 26, 2026
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Producers: Original producer Kim Ji-yeon and creator-director Hwang Dong-hyuk are on board as producers, joined by David Fincher, Zeus Zamani, and Rhett Giles
• Writer: Dennis Kelly
• Cast (so far): Cate Blanchett

The listing also drops a fresh logline that makes the strategy crystal clear:

"A US version of the Korean hit series, the spinoff is set in the same world but we get to see how the games are handled in America."

Not shocking, but notable: the games are still running — in the U.S. — despite how the original series wrapped.

Quick refresher on that season 3 ending

If your memory needs a reset, the Squid Game season 3 finale went all-in on chaos. Gi-hun sacrifices himself so Player 222's baby ends up the winner. The Front Man then grabs the baby, escapes, and blows up the island where the games were held. Months later, we jump to Los Angeles: the Front Man is driving when he spots a recruiter in an alley playing ddakji (that tile-slapping street challenge from early on). The recruiter — played by Cate Blanchett — locks eyes with him. Cut to black. Cue debates.

It was a divisive, deliberately murky closer, but it also left a door wide open for exactly this: an American-set spinoff with the machinery still grinding away stateside.

Who is making it (and who might show up)

Fincher — yes, that Fincher, of Gone Girl and Fight Club — was first linked to the project back in 2024 and has now surfaced on the producer roster. He has been rumored to direct, but the listing does not confirm that part. Dennis Kelly is writing, and for now, Cate Blanchett is the only named cast member. Given where season 3 left the Front Man — in LA — it would not be shocking if Lee Byung-hun turns up, but that has not been announced.

So what kind of series is this?

The question is whether Squid Game: America simply runs another brutal tournament until someone tries to burn the system down again, or if it changes the rules enough to feel fresh. With Squid Game being Netflix's biggest series ever, the desire to expand the franchise is obvious. The trick is making it feel like more than a rerun with new zip codes.

Squid Game seasons 1–3 are streaming on Netflix now.