Rumors have been flying around about a US remake of Squid Game ever since the original series first hit Netflix, but there are several reasons why this is a terrible idea. The Korean series was a global smash hit with its first season inspiring widespread eagerness for season 2, a reality TV series, and a bucketload of fan theories to boot. Additionally, some audiences from the United States have been requesting a reboot of the series, starting at square one with an American setting and an English-speaking cast. However, this idea would potentially ruin Squid Game.
Thankfully, Netflix president Ted Sarandos has shut down the idea of a US Squid Game remake (via Screen Rant). When asked about the rumors during a press conference in South Korea, Sarandos said that they were just that—rumors. Still, this isn’t to say that something couldn’t come of this in the future, especially if Squid Game season 2 is just as or more successful than the previous installment. Hopefully, this won’t be the case since a US remake of the brutal series would be a waste of time.
Squid Game Cast & Character Guide
Netflix’s Squid Game is about people playing life or death children’s games. Who are the characters and where else do the cast members appear?
7 Future Squid Games Seasons Are Likely To Explore International Games Anyway
Squid Game season 1 subtly revealed that the terrible games created by Oh Il-nam (who disguised himself as one of the players) are a global operation. The VIPs that bet on the games and, therefore, fund the operation come from all over the world, and one of them mentioned that the Korean games were especially good that year. This seems to imply that there are also games hosted in other countries, presumably including the United States.
Squid Games‘ creator, Hwang Dong-Hyuk, has mentioned that he would be interested in exploring the impactful themes of his series in other countries since extreme poverty and corrupt authority are not unique to South Korea. Therefore, it seems likely that future seasons of Squid Game will explore how the games work in other countries, including the United States. This would be far more impactful as part of the original series rather than a remake that would ultimately compete with the Korean version.
6 Squid Game Is Already Highly Popular In The United States
Typically, when a series is remade in a different country, it’s in hopes of broadening the story’s audience. This was the case for series like The Office, which was massively popular in the UK but virtually unheard of in the US until it was remade. This wouldn’t be the case for Squid Game. The series surprised the world by gaining prominence in several countries, with the United States making up a significant amount of Squid Games viewership. So, remaking Gi-hun’s story for an American audience would be somewhat redundant since they are already watching.
5 A US Squid Game Remake Would Needlessly Compete With The Original
A US-based Squid Game series could potentially make sense if it came several years after the original show ended. However, since Netflix is only currently working on season 2, it’s far too early to think about a remake. Since both would be on Netflix simultaneously, the two series would cannibalize each other, and the result would likely be one or both versions falling flat. A US-based Squid Game spinoff series could work by enhancing the original show, but a remake that starts a Gi-hun-equivalent character over again could only get in the way.
4 Squid Game’s Korean Setting Is An Important Feature Of The Series
Watching a TV show filmed initially in a different language can be uncomfortable for some audiences. There is typically a choice between watching with English subtitles or with the English dub, and neither option tends to be perfect. However, the popularity of Squid Game proves that it was entirely worth it in this case. Ultimately, the South Korean culture baked into the series was a significant asset. Not only was it enjoyable for those who already love Korean media, but it was a unique chance for US audiences to peer into and relate with a different world. Stripping that away would be a mistake.
3 A US Remake Of Squid Game Would Feel Like a Money Grab
There is very little that a US Squid Game could add to the series. The Netflix show makes powerful statements about greed and morality, diving into political and financial corruption, the endless fight for wealth, and the lack of joy once that goal is finally achieved. These are problems that American audiences can relate to (proven by Squid Games’ popularity in the US), but there is nothing unique that a remake could add. Therefore, the only real reason for Netflix to remake Squid Game would be for easy money, which goes against the whole point of the series.
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2 A US-Based Squid Game Series Would Need A Whole New Title
Since Squid Game is so uniquely Korean, it isn’t easy to imagine what would be left if the show was stripped down and reconstructed into a Western tale. Even the title is unique to the show’s Korean concepts. Though the bloody competition as a whole is often called “Squid Games” by US viewers, the show’s title actually refers to only the final game played by Gi-hun and Cho Sang Woo. Since this isn’t a game that was played on US school playgrounds, it wouldn’t work for a remade series. At this point, Netflix would be better off just coming up with a brand-new concept instead.
1 The Only Benefit To A US Squid Game Would Be American Children’s Games
One of the appealing factors of Squid Game is watching children’s games get turned into a bloody sport. For South Korean audiences, each game played on nostalgia from their childhood. However, in the case of US audiences, only a couple of games were common on Western playgrounds as well. This is likely why the “Red Light Green Light” sequence was among the more viral scenes in the US.
Though seeing a series focused on children’s games that would be nostalgic for American audiences would undoubtedly be entertaining, the idea would get old fairly quickly. Even Squid Game season 2 will struggle to beat the brutality of the first season since the surprise factor and juxtaposition of the bloody children’s games will have been lessened. If Netflix were to remake Squid Game into a US series, audiences would already know what to expect, so even gruesome versions of Four Square or Tetherball wouldn’t cut it.
