Picture: Netflix
With season 3 of Squid Game now wrapped up and already breaking viewership records, attention is rightly pointing towards the future. While Netflix and the show’s creator have been coy about what’s coming next, the door is certainly open for future projects, and rumors are aplenty. What’s not currently planned, however, is the Squid Game Cinematic Universe, a meme/image that has been circulating for well over a year now, but has experienced a resurgence in the past week, accumulating millions of views and likes.
Squid Game USA, Squid Game 1987, Squid Game 28th, Squid Game World – those are the projects that are “confirmed” to be in the works from the viral image that’s dominating across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok right now. The picture appears to originate from a Twitter account in late 2024, although the post is no longer available. Still, we found one iteration that was posted back in January 2025. However, the internet is forever, and given that most platforms now have monetization schemes for engagement, it’s spreading like wildfire.
The picture details Phase One of the Squid Game Cinematic Universe, which mimics Marvel’s efforts to create a connected cinematic universe. It details how Squid Game S3 is coming in Summer 2025 (which has just happened, although this image was first made when we only knew it was Summer), then Squid Game 1987 in Winter 2026, Squid Game USA in Fall 2026 (winter comes before fall now eh?), Squid Game 28th in Spring 2027 and then Squid Game World in Winter 2028.
The Fake Viral Squid Game Universe Picture
Another version of the picture, shared by the viral Instagram account Indiamoviedekho, which is filled with engagement bait and AI-generated content, even features a superimposed version that gives the impression it was announced on stage. That particular picture has over 100 thousand likes. The stage image is actually that of the Phase 5 reveal from a 2022 Marvel press conference at San Diego Comic Con, albeit zoomed in and edited.
It’s very much not official India Movie Dekho….
The slop continues, though, as another viral post on Threads appears to suggest “leaks” of the four mentioned projects, including a synopsis of each. Again, entirely made up and even goes as far as to go beyond phase one with phase two titles including “Squid Game: Innocence Lost”, “Squid Game: Velvet/Plastic Promises,” and “Squid Game: Bloodline/House of Powers End.” What a load of…
What active Squid Game projects are there at Netflix?
Although the Cinematic Universe, as laid out above, isn’t real, Netflix is certainly not done with Squid Game – not by a long shot. With Season 3 now in the rearview mirror, Squid Game has two official ongoing projects and one that’s still in active development but not yet officially confirmed by Netflix. Let’s break them down:
- Squid Game: The Challenge – This reality competition series first debuted in November 2023, and it’s been a long wait for it to return. Filming for the new season took place earlier this year and is confirmed for a 2025 release. If Season 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, we can expect a multi-batch rollout around Thanksgiving time. While a third season isn’t confirmed, Netflix is still actively recruiting more contestants and states that the show is “ongoing.”
- Squid Game Unleashed – The mobile game, which recently expanded to laptops, continues to receive numerous updates, including a significant one that was just released, introducing new characters, games, episode-linked rewards, and iconic challenges from the series.
Then you have the much-talked-about and discussed Squid Game: America. Netflix has yet to confirm this project officially, and it has been in development since at least 2023. Deadline “exclusively” confirmed the project’s active development in October 2024, with David Fincher involved and expected to direct. It’s a spin-off, rather than a remake, and is being developed as a series, with very little else known about the show. Reports have surfaced that Dennis Kelly is expected to write, with Master Key Production behind the production (they handled the LA unit in the season 3 finale), and executive produced by Kim Ji-yeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk, David Fincher, Zeus Zamani, and Rhett Giles.
Even with Squid Game: America, however, there are numerous viral posts circulating right now, specifically regarding casting “news” shared on Facebook and Instagram, including reports that Leonardo DiCaprio has been cast, a callback to a rumor of his supposed appearance in Season 3. There are a few usual suspects, including Gamurs Group’s Facebook pages, such as Netflix Updates, claiming that Robert De Niro, Matthew McConaughey, and Salma Hayek are all in line for roles – simply not true. More AI slop has Pedro Pascal and Michael B. Jordan starring. Honestly, we could keep going – it’s a deep rabbit hole. It’s even our understanding that Cate Blanchett, who cameoed in the finale of Season 3, isn’t necessarily cast in any future installment of Squid Game either, with her role labeled simply as a “special appearance.”
Of course, Netflix isn’t commenting on anything regarding Squid Game: America or whoever it turns out to be called just yet, and that’s if it even happens. Production listings from ProductionWeekly and USA Casting News suggest that filming could begin as early as December 2025, but several factors must align for this to happen ultimately.
In conclusion, then, while The Squid Game Cinematic Universe isn’t real, Squid Game is going to be part of Netflix for quite some time.