Mild speculative spoilers for Squid Game
Squid Game was the most popular Netflix series of all time and the first to top the charts in every single country. It proved beyond a doubt that viewers like highly entertaining shows and that language is not a barrier to that. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk spent over ten years trying to get it made. He went through countless rejections, lived with family and even had to sell his laptop at one point to make ends meet. I’m sure the studios that told him it was unrealistic and too violent are kicking themselves now.
In initial interviews after the series’ success, Dong-hyuk said he wasn’t sure about doing a sequel, that there were other projects he wanted to do first, and that he would get help with a sequel if there was one because he was tired of doing everything on his own. The good news is that a sequel has now been confirmed. Dong-hyuk told the AP at a screening that he’s planning it now.
Another season of “Squid Game” is on the way.
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed the plans to the Associated Press at a screening and Q&A in Los Angeles for the Korean drama, which became a global phenomenon for Netflix in the past couple months.
“There’s been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season. So I almost feel like you leave us no choice!” Hwang told the Associated Press on the Monday night red carpet. “But I will say there will indeed be a second season. It’s in my head right now. I’m in the planning process currently.”
However, Hwang tempered expectations by saying it’s too early to give any concrete details about the follow-up to the smash hit, and Netflix hasn’t made any official announcement yet. Hwang did say, though, that lead actor Lee Jung-jae will return as main character Seong Gi-hun.
You can see the video of that interview below. I’ve mentioned this before, but how handsome is Lee Jung-jae? They did such a good job making him look like a hapless loser that you couldn’t tell how hot he was on the show until he grew out his hair and beard and went full Keanu. I know a sequel seemed inevitable given the way the Squid Game ended and how massively successful it was, but I’m still surprised they confirmed it this early! So we have confirmation that Gi-hun is returning as the lead. I’m sad that so many of my other favorite characters won’t be back, but maybe we’ll see them in flashbacks. I also want Gi-hun to take down the shady organization from the inside, but I can’t help but think he’ll be absorbed by them and complicit by the end of season two.
COMEBACK SQUID: Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director, creator, writer of #SquidGame says the show will be back with more Gi-hun adventures. pic.twitter.com/uqC1DIdZqy
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) November 9, 2021
Photos credit: Noh Juhan for Netflix and Instar
Hopefully the second half of the season is as good as the first half. Looking forward to it regardless.
Yeah, throw enough money at it, you get motivated.
Hwang Dong hyuk talked about how difficult it was to get this and his other projects off the ground.
He saw the light and knows that a second season comes with the deal for any other project.
And a whole YES on Lee Jung Jae. Google his best friend and business partner Jung Woo sung, who is another looker.
*Blanche spraying herself with water to cool down gif*
I hope he negotiated a nice little package for himself,i doubt he got much for the initial deal.
I can’t wait for this. Netflix has also just put up 3 of Hwang’s films on the site which I thought was really good of them. Hopefully they pay him more for season 2.
Ooh which 2 did they put up?
@Observer: The Fortress, Silenced and Miss Granny.
I really hope this leads to an uptick in K-Drama interest and therefore investment in other/new ones from both Netflix and other streaming platforms. I’m a huge K-Drama junkie and honestly, did I enjoy Squid Game and would I absolutely watch more? Yes! Did I think it was as good as many other K-Dramas I have actually seen licensed to Netflix and not get as much attention? No.
I do love me some death-game scenarios though. While not a K-drama, I am anxiously hoping for a 2nd (1st season ends on a cliffhanger but still worth watching) season of Alice in Borderland, a Japanese show on Netflix that should appeal to Squid Game watchers. Of course, there’s a lot more to K/J-dramas than death games, but they are f-kin fun when done right.
I started getting into K-dramas last year and have seen a quite a few but mostly the romance ones. If you have any non-romance based ones to suggest (or where romance isn’t the primary focus) let me know! I actually thought Squid Game was one of the better K-dramas I’ve seen simply because as much as I enjoy the cheesy Hallmarkness of the romance genre, there are a lot of cliché tropes in there and I’ve had to stop watching a few of the romance ones because it got too tedious. Squid Game was a departure for me in the K-drama world in terms of acting, production value, storyline etc.
@AmelieOriginal I tend to really like action and horror dramas myself. Rugal (action/pseudo sci fi), Law School (sounds boring, ISN’T!–more of general drama/murder mystery/craziness than action or horror) and also Sweet Home (horror but with that K-humor touch I love) have been three I particularly enjoyed lately.
All the above should still be on Netflix.
I’ve been trying to get into more romance K-Dramas but I struggle with the cheesiness sometimes even though that can also be the appeal (it’s a really fine line) — anyone else want to recommend some K-Dramas, in any genre?
Highly recommend the series Flower of Evil as a must watch. There is a love story element but this a solid suspense drama, not light and fluffy.
thanks LTRFTC, i’ll put it on my watchlist immediately.
I’m a K-Drama junkie myself. I adored Mr. Queen so much I tracked down the series DVD and bought it.
Haven’t seen Mr Queen! I’ll have to check it out.
I’m guessing we’ll see the mysterious Game Master as well and learn how he ended up as Game Master? We know he won one of the prior Squid Games so I’m guessing we’ll learn more about that and how the whole Squid Game thing started. I was so disappointed when they killed off the [SPOILER!!!!] police officer brother.
I’m interested to see how they do a second season but K-dramas don’t usually get multiple seasons from my experience, I’ve seen a few with multiple seasons but that’s why I like them. You get invested in the story for a season (usually 16 episodes) and then you move onto a new one. I’m excited to see Lee Jung-jae return! He was so great in his role.
**Spoiler**
@Amelie…I think the brother is still alive!
This for sure! *SPOILER* Shot in the shoulder and then disappear off a cliff without seeing the body in an otherwise gory show?? Alive for sure.
I got pissed about the brother dying, like “What a waste of a cool character” so I hope Tisme is right!
I hope y’all are right that the brother is still alive!! It fits with my theory (that I always forget) that unless you see somebody’s dead body, they’re not really dead 😉
I hope this really kills the idea, once and for all, that a general audience only wants to hear English spoken.
I’ve read a few interviews with Hwang Dong-hyuk now; his backstory as a struggling artist is inspiring. And I love that he took big, risky swings with his first three films, each one different, and they were successful. Can’t wait to dig into them on Netflix.
Amen. It’s not just K-dramas I want to see more of on streaming platforms, but more international shows of quality in general that deserve it, need to be given the credibility and hopefully this paves the way. Although I have a particularly strong interest in Asian ones.
I found the series good but not particularly original (Battle Royale, Hunger Games, The Hunt, etc. all use the same basic concept), but I’d probably tune in for the sequel. The performances and characters are what made it. Korean dramas are kind of interesting compared to a lot of other East Asian productions because you can see a lot of Western influence there thanks to America’s military presence. Makes for an interesting blend of cultural elements at play.
I hope Dong-hyuk is getting PAID this time around. I think he is — my take on his press for Squid Game was he was wisely saying, “I don’t know if I’ll do another one, it was sooooo hard and I would need a whole team,” by which he meant, “Netflix you better pay up if you want season 2, and that means a big boost for me and also a big budget for writing and directing staff.” So, now that season 2 is announced, I assume Netflix put up numbers that satisfied and hopefully impressed Dong-hyuk. He is worth it; Squid Game was absolutely brilliant.
I love Lee Jung-jae’s outfit in the video clip – white sweater and blazer with the neck scarf. Great taste!
Dude is hot.
Like I shouldn’t write the things I want to write about him, hot.
Even if I hated squid game (I loved it ven with annoying plot points), I’d still watch because yeah