Netflix confirms Squid Game replacement, but it's not the show fans were expecting
There are some major gaps in the Netflix schedule right now, and with us already warned that Wednesday season 3 is a long way off, the end of shows like Squid Game and Stranger Things means the streaming giant is going to have to find some replacements for some of its biggest hits.
Still, just like Stranger Things will live on in both animated and live-action spin-offs, as well as a new show called The Boroughs from the Duffer Brothers, Squid Game's Hwang Dong-hyuk will see him return to Netflix for another outing.
We're told that his next venture will be very different from Squid Game, which is sure to put pressure on him after the show was such a hit. Despite some complaints that Squid Game dropped off toward the end, there's a reason it became Netflix's biggest show of all time. After all, it's not every day that Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson is accused of ripping off your idea.
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Variety has confirmed that Hwang Dong-hyuk is back with Netflix for The Dealer. While the series marks the directorial debut of Choi Young-hwan, Dong-hyuk will serve as a producer.
The Korean casino crime drama focuses on Geonhwa, a skilled casino dealer (the clue is in the name) whose preparations for marriage fall apart when she's hit by a housing fraud scheme.
With Geonhwa pulled back into the seedy underbelly of criminal gambling, she's forced to use her 'long-concealed abilities' to get her life back and make it to the church on time. As we've seen with Vince Gilligan's runaway success when he left the world of Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul behind for Apple TV's Pluribus, Dong-hyuk could be wise to move away from the Squid Game IP.
Still, season 3's cliffhanger ending and surprise cameo from Cate Blanchett suggested there was more to the story.
At the time of writing, there's been no official word on a potential Squid Game season 4 or any update on any spin-offs.
‘Squid Game’ Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk Sets New Netflix Series ‘The Dealer,’ Starring Jung So-min.
— Connie | WYMM 🏡 missing hours (@kooneekooo) January 14, 2026
This Variety headline is music to my ears. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/IsRPnZ7ftZ
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2025, Dong-hyuk teased a Squid Game continuation wouldn't be a direct sequel when he told the outlet: "If the time comes, and it just so happens that I’m able to come up with a character or a different story, then maybe there might be a comeback, but I’m thinking more along the lines of a spinoff."
This lines up with October 2024 reports that Fight Club's David Fincher will be leading an English-language spin-off that's said to have a working title of Squid Game: America and could start production in February 2026.
If you're still hankering for more Squid Game, Netflix has also confirmed Squid Game: The Challenge will be back for season 3. Assuming The Dealer is anywhere near as big a hit, it's not hard to imagine Netflix also trying to franchise it out as the next big thing.