While Squid Game still has no new announcements after its 2025 finale, Netflix seems to be taking its dark themes into unscripted territory with its next show. The New Stanford Prison Experiment will release on the streamer on October 21 and explore power and class in the same vein as Squid Game.
The Korean series became a global phenomenon upon release and did record numbers for Netflix. The show had its finale in 2025, with the season 3 finale teasing a new, possibly American version of the show to continue. However, no new announcements have been made, and the future for the thriller is unclear.
Netflix’s New Unscripted Series Explores Power and Corruption
A still from The New Stanford Prison Experiment | Credits: Netflix
The original Stanford Prison Experiment, which was done in 1971, is a key topic of study in psychology and sociology, especially on the topics of power, social hierarchy, and whether individuals conform to their roles and show power, or if they would let empathy dominate. The original experiment was abandoned after 6 days due to rampant abuse of power.
While the experiment remains controversial to this day for its exploration of how power corrupts, Netflix seems to have taken the cue and created an unscripted series based on it. The New Stanford Experiment puts 30 participants in a real prison and are randomly assigned as guards and prisoners (via Variety).
The show’s central concept has sparked a lot of online debate and controversy as netizens criticized the streamer for capitalizing on a murky experiment. The fact that it is unscripted is also making audiences evaluate the ethical connotations of such a show (via The Independent).
Executive Producer Jane Lipsitz spoke about the show to Variety,
Despite its serious ethical flaws, it asked a fundamental question that feels even more relevant today: how does power affect ethical choices? Getting the opportunity to reimagine this social experiment was one of the most intense, exhilarating, and definitely nail-biting experiences we’ve ever had.
While it does seem like Netflix is charting into untested waters with this unscripted series, it has definitely got eyes on it, and the show will definitely be a topic of conversation in the coming months.
Squid Game’s Future Remains Murky After David Fincher’s Spinoff Cancellation
A still from Squid Game | Credits: Netflix
While Netflix tries to find its Squid Game replacement with other series, the show itself seems to be in unclear waters after its 2025 finale. Despite being one of the most successful foreign shows on the streamer, the IP seems to be having a hard time going ahead with some of the planned spinoffs Netflix had announced.
The biggest blow to the franchise is the apparent cancellation of the American spinoff show, Heckler, which was set to be produced by David Fincher and written by Utopia’s Dennis Kelly. While it was announced back in 2024, the show has reportedly been shelved after no new developments came from it (via The Playlist).
Fincher is currently busy with his Netflix movie, The Adventures of Cliff Booth with Brad Pitt, and has quite a few projects lined up. The spinoff was originally intended to take the franchise to the global market, as the season finale even set up Cate Blanchett as an American recruiter (though her involvement in Heckler was denied).
While there are reports of Netflix making regional adaptations of the show, Squid Game’s future seems to be currently unclear, and there are no real developments.
What do you think Netflix should do with Squid Game? Comment below.
The New Stanford Prison Experiment will premiere on Netflix on October 21, 2026.
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