Netflix's 'Alice in Borderland' Becomes Global Phenomenon, Director Reflects

In the past 3 years, the Netflix series 'Alice in Borderland' has become a global hit, with its third season launching in late September 2025. The show's director, Shinsuke Sato, has dedicated a significant portion of his recent career to this passion project, which has garnered international acclaim.

Season 3 of 'Alice in Borderland' continued the franchise's success, spending 3 weeks in Netflix's Global Top 10 and reaching #5 in the Non-English Shows list. Within a month of its launch, the new season had amassed over 20.5 million viewing hours and hit the Top 10 in 30 countries.

Sato, a prolific Japanese filmmaker, began production on 'Alice in Borderland' in 2019, with the first season debuting the following year. The series immediately found a global audience, tapping into the demand for dystopian "death game" dramas that also drove the success of Netflix's 'Squid Game'. The second season, released in 2022, further solidified the show's popularity worldwide.

In addition to 'Alice in Borderland', Sato has become an expert in translating manga to live-action, having previously adapted works like 'Death Note', 'Bleach', and 'Kingdom'. He is also set to direct the live-action adaptation of the popular manga 'My Hero Academia' for Netflix and Legendary Entertainment.

Reflecting on the journey of 'Alice in Borderland', Sato expressed a sense of relief now that the third season has been completed. He discussed the challenges of expanding the scope and scale of the storytelling with each new season, as well as the meticulous planning required to create the show's signature deserted Tokyo setting.