Netflix is not letting go of Squid Game any time soon — even if the upcoming third season will be the end of the story as envisioned by creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk. According to him, it “is not going to be the end of the Squid Game universe.” Far from it, in fact.
In a new interview with TheWrap regarding the creation of the popular and Emmy Award-winning South Korean series’ sophomore installment, Hwang explained how he will or will not play into the future of the universe he created, and what that might look like under Netflix’s watchful eye. Because even though he is the creator and director of the series, it is actually the streamer that has creative control over the franchise. Curious to know what that means? Read on for more — but be warned: there may be what some consider to be minor spoilers ahead for season two!
What Else Can Audiences Expect From The ‘Squid Game’ Universe?
Given Squid Game‘s unique place in the Netflix canon — it is its most watched series of all time — it should come as no surprise that the streamer is doing everything it can to maximize its profit margins and expand the universe beyond the three seasons of television. It has already aired the first season of a reality television spin-off, the controversial Squid Game: The Challenge (largely due to the threat of legal action undertaken by some due to the working conditions and treatment of its contestants) with another season already greenlit, with casting underway. It should be noted, however, that Hwang is currently not involved in the reality series on any level.
Beyond that, Hwang confirmed to TheWrap that the rumored David Fincher-led, English-language spin-off (or is it an adaptation?) is in development. And though he was admittedly cagey on details, Hwang also noted that “Netflix has a plan” for what will happen in the world of his popular creation moving forward.
“Maybe I’ll be in one of those projects as an advisor or co-creator. Who knows?” Hwang told the outlet, hopefully. “But Season 3 is not going to be the end of the Squid Game universe.”
In the meantime, fans at least have an already confirmed — and already filmed! — third season of the series headed their way come 2025. Hwang explained how he realized early on in the process of creating season two that one additional season would not be enough to tell the end of this story properly.
Related
‘Squid Game’ Fans Are Reacting to Season 2 in Surprising Ways
The Season 2 premiere of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ is earning a mixed reaction from fans on Rotten Tomatoes and social media.
“The story got longer, because I included a lot of characters and more incidents,” he stated. And, as such, “the [number of] episodes increased.” So, six months into writing the second season, the creator sat Netflix down and asked them if he could split the season into two. To which Netflix enthusiastically agreed, because duh: Squid Game amassed 2.2 billion streaming hours in its first 91 days, more than any other original series by far. It also made Emmy Awards history, becoming the first-ever non-English-language show to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. So, of course they were going to renew it — they’d be business fools not to — and now they’re going to milk its success for all it is worth, turning the series into merch, experiences, reality shows, and who-knows-what-else.
There’s probably an ironic social observation to be made here, given the subject matter of the show, but…we’re too tired from being generally overworked and underpaid, so we’ll just leave it. For now.
In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.
- Release Date
-
September 17, 2021
- Seasons
-
2
- Writers
-
Hwang Dong-hyuk