David Fincher’s American Squid Game reportedly has a fresh new filming update 

Squid Game is crossing the ocean. After three intense seasons in South Korea, the series is getting an American version, this time under the direction of David Fincher. According to a recent update from DiscussingFilm, production is set to begin this December in Los Angeles. A new setting, a different creative approach, and a familiar game. The shift opens the door to something that feels both familiar and unpredictable.

There’s no need to retell what Squid Game is. By now, the red jumpsuits, green tracksuits, and glass bridges are embedded in pop culture. The fear, the silence before the shot, the gut punch of watching someone choose survival over morality. That’s what stuck. And now, with Fincher officially leading this American adaptation and filming starting in December, the expectation is that this next round will explore a new kind of tension.

The filming update may sound like just a scheduling note, but it actually marks a turning point. It confirms that the project is moving forward with real momentum, not just as a rumor or distant plan. With cameras set to roll by the end of the year, the series enters a new phase, one that blends Fincher’s psychological signature with the brutal structure of the original show.

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A different mind in charge

The biggest surprise in this update is the presence of David Fincher. Known for his sharp sense of pacing and his clinical, often unsettling, visual style, Fincher doesn’t usually attach himself to just anything. His track record includes Se7en, Fight Club, and Mindhunter, which says enough. And with Dennis Kelly, creator of Utopia, handling the script, there’s potential for something layered and challenging.

At this point, not much has been confirmed in terms of plot. But a small moment at the end of Squid Game season 3 gave a clear signal that the American version won't be a remake. It’s a continuation.

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Cate Blanchett and the quiet signal

In a post-credits scene, Cate Blanchett appears playing ddakji on the streets of Los Angeles. No names. No dialogue. Just a folded paper tile hitting the ground and a look exchanged. It was brief but loaded. Enough to show that this is not a reset, but an expansion of the same universe.

Casting Blanchett says a lot without saying much. Her presence suggests elegance, ambiguity, and quiet control. If she is meant to be a recruiter, the American version might take a colder, more polished direction. Which makes sense, considering who’s directing it.

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A different kind of desperation

The original version of Squid Game dealt with debt, shame, and the crushing weight of failure in South Korean society. The American version will have to find its own pressure point. In the US, the struggle might look different. It's often tied to illusions of success, to keeping up appearances, to the cost of falling behind when everyone else seems to be moving forward.

That shift changes everything. It’s no longer just about owing money. It becomes about fear of irrelevance, about personal branding, about losing the game no one admits they’re playing. That’s the territory the adaptation needs to explore.

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How Squid Game changes in tone and texture under Fincher

Visually, this new version will likely steer away from the bright, surreal sets of the original. Fincher’s style leans toward shadows, sharp contrasts, and quiet dread. His tension doesn’t rely on shock. It lingers. A hallway that’s too quiet. A camera that stays still a few seconds longer than expected. Violence that’s almost silent.

This version of Squid Game might slow things down. Take longer with decisions. Focus more on the psychological toll. Not just who wins or dies, but what it means to stay in the game one more day.

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What to expect from the spin-off

Filming starts in December 2025, so a release sometime in late 2026 or early 2027 seems likely. No casting announcements yet, aside from Blanchett’s small appearance. No episode count, either. For now, everything is built around suggestion and anticipation.

It’s clear, though, that this won’t be a copy. The American spin-off is being shaped as a separate entry in a larger universe. That opens space for crossover potential, new rules, and different types of players. The game stays the same. But the way it’s played might shift completely.

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The game keeps going

This version of Squid Game isn’t looking to soften the message. If anything, it seems to be digging deeper. With Fincher involved, the tension will likely be quieter, but heavier. Less about spectacle, more about decay. Not how people die, but how they break.

At its core, Squid Game has always been about what people are willing to give up to survive. Pride. Dignity. Connection. In this new version, that question still matters. It just comes wrapped in another language, under different lights, in a city where everyone’s already playing something. Even if they don’t know it yet.