Squid Game, Netflix’s South Korean satirical drama, took the world by storm in 2021. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show follows Seong Gi-hun, a single father and gambling addict, as he competes in a brutal death game to pay off his debts. A staple of the East Asian “death game” genre, it became one of Netflix’s biggest hits upon release.
However, Squid Game has also shown remarkable staying power. MrBeast made a heavily-criticized “real life Squid Game” video. Meanwhile, Netflix ordered both a documentary about the show and a “real life Squid Game” reality show of their own. A second season of the show is also in production. However, Netflix has now released details about yet another Squid Game project.
Netflix Reveals American “Squid Game”
According to the entertainment industry podcast The Hot Mic, Netflix has ordered an American remake of Squid Game. Additionally David Fincher (Se7en, The Game, Fight Club) has been linked to the project. An American remake of the show has been rumored for some time, as Netflix looks to capitalize off the show’s success for long as possible. However, this is the first major confirmation that the project is going ahead. Questions immediately arose about the project – how different would it be from the original? Would the same satirical tone and exploration of themes such as capitalist exploitation remain? And perhaps most pressingly for the internet, why are you doing?
The news of an American remake was not well-received by the internet. Forbes penned an article called Netflix, Do Not Make American Squid Game while numerous users across social media lambasted the lack of originality. This has been a common reaction in recent years to news that East Asian media successes are being considered for Western remakes. Also reportedly being remade is the Korean zombie sensation, Train To Busan. But Squid Game, which garnered so much success in part due to its novelty for Western audiences, may suffer from a remake. Those who watched the original already know the story and those who weren’t interested aren’t going to be drawn in by an American retelling. However, for the time being, it appears that the show is in the same early stages of development.
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