Squid Game director discussing the sequel’s inspiration. (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Squid Game Season 2 is just two months away from being released on Netflix. Based on the Korean children’s game, the 10-episode series will release on December 26, 2024. However, after the spectacular success of the first series, the director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, initially wasn’t on board for a sequel.
So, what motivated Director Hwang-Dong-hyuk to write the second part? He admits that money ultimately drove him.
“When the first series was a global hit, honestly, I didn’t make much,” Hwang-Dong-hyuk told the BBC, saying that unfinished storylines and financial compensation prompted him to create a season.
Even though the first season of Squid Game wreaked havoc on the internet, the director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, didn’t get a hefty payment and only a modest fee. South Korea’s copyright laws also mean that content creators like Hwang don’t benefit from the success of their shows.
This has also raised concerns from several creators in South Korea, pressing for changes to protect their rights and demanding bigger pay from streaming platforms like Netflix. The streaming giant responded by stating that it provides “competitive” payment to the creators, with many creators even arguing that they should get a more significant share of profits, especially for globally successful shows.
How Hwang-Dong-hyuk came to create Squid Game?
Fans might not be aware that Hwang Dong-hyuk conceived the idea of Squid Game in 2009. However, he couldn’t find the producers who could fund his project then. Then, in 2019, Netflix showed interest in Dong Hyuk’s project, and the show finally saw the light of day on September 17, 2021.
Dong-Hyuk also revealed that he lost nearly nine teeth during the first part of the show’s production. His hard work, though, didn’t go in vain, as the show became an instant hit. It became Netflix’s most-watched show in 94 countries, attracting more than 142 million member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours in the first four weeks, even surpassing Bridgerton.
The new season follows the previous winner, Gi-Hun, who enters the deadly game to dismantle the game from within. This time, the players would be expected to pick sides after each game, dividing themselves into groups that force life-and-death decisions. The director in this season is expected to explore themes of wealth gaps, climate change, and generational conflict. Whether this season of Squid Game will be able to live up to the fans’ expectations, we will get the answers on December 26, 2024.
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