‘Squid Game’ Creator Talks ‘Immense Pressure’ Of Season 2

“Squid Game” author and director Hwang Dong-hyuk devoted practically a decade to creating the story that may ultimately turn into the primary season of his Netflix drama.

Nonetheless, after the sequence grew to become a worldwide phenomenon, followers and the platform rapidly demanded extra. Hwang all of the sudden discovered himself tasked with writing and producing two further seasons in a fraction of the time it took to create the unique. The Season 2 trailer teases the return of Gi-hun to the lethal video games, this time utilizing his hard-earned data to assist others navigate the life-or-death challenges.

Regardless of his warnings of inevitable hazard, a brand new wave of contestants is raring to danger every part for the prospect to win billions within the “Squid Sport.”

Inside a month of its launch, “Squid Sport” grew to become Netflix’s most-watched sequence, shattering data as the primary Korean and foreign-language present to obtain a Display Actors Guild (SAG) nomination. Constructing on its huge success, Netflix launched a reality competition series impressed by the drama, which premiered in November 2023.

Now, the franchise is making ready to launch a second season.

“As a result of I created Season 1 with out a lot considered doing the second season, when it was determined that we’d do Season 2, the strain was certainly immense,” director Hwang instructed IndieWire. “I used to be pondering to myself: will I actually have the ability to pull this off? Will I have the ability to create or write one thing that may exceed Season 1?”

“However as soon as I acquired to writing, and as soon as I acquired into the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) returning to the video games along with his personal motives, it truly went so much higher than I believed it could,” he continued. “I used to be capable of create a narrative that I felt was extra intriguing, give you extra fascinating characters and give you extra unique and intriguing video games as effectively.”

“Alongside the best way, I believe that sense of burden or strain truly became a supply of pleasure, and I regularly gained the arrogance that we had been creating one thing that the followers of the primary season wouldn’t be upset with,” he added. “Having mentioned that, it was clearly no straightforward feat. Nonetheless, I believe with that confidence, I used to be ready to enter it with a greater strategy.”

Hwang revealed to IndieWire that creating Season 2 alongside the third and remaining season, set to launch in late 2025, considerably influenced his writing course of, shaping the story in ways in which wouldn’t have been doable with extra time between installments.

“I wrote Seasons 2 and three on the identical time… and alongside the storyline, there’s a turning level that takes place, and that results in a sequence of various occasions, and likewise results in a major change within the character,” Hwang mentioned. “Comparatively talking, the ending for Season 2 got here to me fairly early on.”

He added, “Nonetheless, the ending to Season 3, truly ended up [in] a unique route than what I had initially conceived of. Whereas I used to be engaged on the story and dealing on the script, I noticed this new path that I needed to go down, and so the ending of Season 3 truly modified within the course of of making Season 2.”

The first season of “Squid Game” concluded with a cliffhanger, leaving many unanswered questions. On the middle of the intrigue was Seong Gi-hun, a kind-hearted however struggling playing addict portrayed by Lee Jung-jae.

After rising victorious within the lethal competitors at the price of his good friend Cho Sang-woo’s (Park Hae-soo) life, Gi-hun sank right into a deep despair. His despair solely deepened upon studying that considered one of his closest allies within the recreation, Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), was, in truth, the mastermind behind your entire competitors.

On the finish of the finale, Gi-hun was left with a pivotal selection: deal with rebuilding his life and being there for his daughter or dedicate himself to placing an finish to the lethal recreation. Within the remaining moments, he appeared to go for the latter.

Season two teasers have revealed that Gi-hun will re-enter the competitors, and the newest trailer provides perception into his motives—this time, he seems to be guiding contestants to outlive and presumably insurgent in opposition to the sport. Nonetheless, for his plan to work, he’ll want to beat their inherent greed.

Gi-hun’s return in season two is only the start, as his battle in opposition to these working the lethal competitors is ready to proceed into the third and remaining season.

“Squid Sport 2” premieres December 26 on Netflix.