Last October, Deadline reported that “sources” claimed David Fincher was returning to Netflix to develop an English language spin-off of Squid Game. Netflix itself has yet to announce the project officially, and Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk recently told Hollywood Reporter that nothing has been said to him about it either: “I’ve only read it in articles myself as well.” Still, that buzzy cameo at the end of season three seems to blow the door wide open for a U.S.-based version of the series, even if Hwang claims that wasn’t his intent. With no concrete plans for any more Korean Squid Game on the horizon, it makes sense that Netflix would turn to adaptation to continue the franchise (instead of continuing their troubled reality competition spin-off). Whether it’s under Fincher’s capable hand or someone else’s, you can bet Netflix will find a way to keep the games alive.
I hope it’s not with Fincher, though. Not because he wouldn’t do a bang-up job with something like Squid Game — in fact, his involvement would be a guaranteed reason to give it a look — but because there are other Korean shows I think deserve his attention more. The thing about Squid Game is that it’s already a stateside hit, despite being a Korean show. How much audience is there to gain by offering an English-language adaptation? Meanwhile, there are plenty of other great Korean shows that have yet to catch on with American audiences the way Squid Game has. Show like Disney+’s Nine Puzzles, for example!
According to Hollywood Reporter, Nine Puzzles “has become the platform’s most-watched title across the Asia-Pacific region since its May launch and the top Korean original globally in 2025.” It’s gaining traction in Western markets too, though it has received relatively little buzz here in the States despite being available on the streamer. If you listen to Podjiba, you’ve heard us talk about it a few times now – it’s a mystery thriller about a criminal profiler and a detective teaming up to catch a serial killer who leaves creepy puzzle pieces at the scenes of their crimes.
Creepy serial killer mystery? Hell, this might be too perfect for David Fincher, though I’d argue it offers plenty of new ground to tread for the director of Se7en, Zodiac, and Mindhunter. What sets Nine Puzzles apart is the twist: the victims are all connected by another crime, which was covered up a decade ago. To catch the killer, the quirky young profiler Yoon E-na (Kim Da-mi, Itaewon Class) must work with detective Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) to unravel the victims’ shared history and predict who might be next on the list. Complicating matters is the fact that E-na is intimately connected to the case – she was the main suspect in her uncle’s murder ten years ago, where a puzzle piece was found, and after each additional murder she receives another piece in the mail. Han-saem, the lead investigator on her uncle’s case, still isn’t sure whether or not he can trust her, and E-na isn’t sure herself. She experienced memory loss after discovering her uncle’s corpse as a teen, and has been working with a psychologist (Park Gyuyoung, who played the North Korean defector No-eul in Squid Game) to get to the bottom of her amnesia and learn whether she actually did have anything to do with his death.
What also sets Nine Puzzles apart is how refreshingly fun it can be, a welcome respite from the frequently dour murder mysteries that usually grace our screens. E-na certainly seems to be having a blast proving herself to be the smartest person in the room, flouncing into each crime scene in a fantastic outfit and surprising her colleagues with her insights while still struggling against their suspicions. Han-saem is a comparatively more serious figure, though that bubble bursts when you learn he’s actually just an Agatha Christie/ murder mystery fanboy with a badge. The pair has a wonderful dynamic that remains completely platonic, thankfully. Meanwhile, every other character you meet seems to have something to hide. Noble characters prove corrupt, and suspicious characters end up being righteous. Nothing is as it seems, and that includes the cases themselves. Despite the overarching mystery, the series follows a mostly case-of-the-week structure, and not all of the cases connect to the puzzle at all, or connect in unexpected ways.
The cover-up that inspires the murder spree may be the show’s most surprising, and Squid Game-y, element. I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s more than just a personal vendetta that sets the serial killer off. There are many levels of corruption at play in an indictment of capitalism and the people it buries in pursuit of progress. Despite the main character being a profiler, the psychology of the killer isn’t a big part of the mystery at all, and that could offer Fincher a fresh spin on a genre he’s already well-versed in. Still, there’s room for improvement in the resolution which, perhaps due to the translation I watched, seemed a little murky. I walked away satisfied that I understood why the killer targeted each victim, but unsure how some threads ultimately connected to the whole picture.
Is this just a backdoor review of Nine Puzzles? Hell yeah it is! Nine Puzzles is on Hulu right now, and it’s worth a watch if mysteries are your thing. If we all hop on this train now, maybe we can make the show popular enough to get Fincher’s attention.
