Squid Gametook the world by storm in 2021, but the upcoming adaptation from director David Fincher could expand the world of the show to a whole new level. While Netflix has certainly helped to elevate internation films and shows and give them a global audience, no one expected the remarkable success that came with the South Korean hit seriesSquid Game. The thriller series has a dark story of survival as a group of contestants undergoes trials that weed out the less strong or ruthless through fatal means.
The show quickly grew to become the most successful and most watched show of all-time on Netflix, topping the charts in dozens of countries. And now,Netflix is hoping to build on that success by recreating the showin an English-speaking format and appealing to an even wider audience. However, the new series by David Fincher could also enhance the original show if it adheres to one specific rule, it shouldn’t be a reboot or remake, but an extension of theoriginalSquid Game.
An American Squid Game Show Makes More Sense If It’s In The Same Universe
The World Of Reality Television Provides The Perfect Setup For A Squid Game Franchise
Reality TV is one of the most interesting and addictive forms of television currently in existence. Grabbing a group of real people, and putting them through their paces in ridiculous challenges, social experiments, and game shows, all for the chance to win some money, and occasionally find love. But, when a show hits big in one country, it’scommon for other countries to take that format, and make it again in a new setting to appeal to another audience.
Squid Game Season 2 Officially Adds A Dark Twist To The First Season’s Most Famous Game
In the trailer for Squid Game season 2, audiences see the return of the first season’s most memorable game but with a super disturbing twist.
This is easy to see with the expansion of shows likeLove is Blind,The Masked Singer,Deal or No Deal, and many others having regional variants. This makesSquid Gamethe perfect show to havevarious versions that are still connected in one shared universe. Presumably, theDavid Fincher version ofSquid Gamewill have a similar format, but with the setting changed to America. This has the potential to pull back the curtain on the world of these games, and show how the world at large has become more barbaric.
Squid Game’s International Games Are The Perfect Justification For The American Show
Squid Game Made Its Way Around The World
Squid Gameshould not simply be a rehash of the original show, and with Fincher being hired as director, that’s practically guaranteed to not be the case. The director is best known for his dark thrillers, twists, and incredibly introspective hit movies, but not for adapting the same story over and over. Creating a new show that exists in the same overarching universe, but simplybought the format to bring it to the USnot only reflects an odd aspect of modern day society and the entertainment industry, but it can make both shows better.
Squid Gameshowcases a capitalistic, archaic, and violent society which has devolved to the point that popular media literally uses peoples' lives as fuel to grow an audience. While reality TV hasn’t quite gotten to that level, seeing thisstory through two different cultural lensesand with a central connection could make it an incredibly interesting study of the human condition. Fincher is sure to make it exciting, however he builds the new show, but the best shot at success lies in tying the shows together.
Squid Game Season 3’s Ending Might Make A Shared Universe More Complicated
The Original Squid Game’s Ending Could Complicate Things For Spin-Offs
However, there is one major caveat to making these shows related and set within a shared universe. The originalSquid Gamehas been greenlit for season 3, butseason 3 is also going to be the final seasonof the show. This means that the finale will need to wrap up the story in a satisfying way, likely with Gi-hun finding some way to expose, or overthrow, the powers that be. If that is the case, it would have major ripple effects for any other shows built on the same format around the globe.
Squid Game Season 2 Trailer: Gi-Hun Tries To Stop The Games From The Inside
The anticipation for Squid Game season 2 continues to build with a new trailer that shows Seong Gi-hun competing in the deadly games once more.
On one hand, it could inspire others to rise up and rebel against these broken systems that put the poor and less fortunate into games that will likely kill them, but that also creates issues as it forces the other shows' hands to move in one direction. If the shows remain separate, Fincher could create and alter the events at his own will, but it wouldn’t feel as expansive or high stakes as a world where these games are everywhere. Ultimately, the newSquid Gamewill need to find its own footing, but it could do great things as an expansion on the original, as long as they find a way to work beyond the South Korean version concluding.
Squid Game
Cast
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
