Hwang Dong-hyuk, the designer of Squid Game, has revealed a really dismal update regarding the release of season two.
There’s a strong possibility you’ve seen, gasped at, and sobbed over Squid Game if you live on the planet Earth. When the Netflix series premiered in September of last year, it went viral, and it’s been a pillar of pop culture ever since.
When the Korean survival drama premiered on Netflix in September 2021, fans were immediately hooked, and they’ve been clamoring for more ever since. Thankfully, a second season was revealed early this year, but it has left fans with one question: when will it return?
The drama has been nominated for several prizes this season, including the Critics’ Choice Television Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and even a Golden Globe for actor O Yeong-su, who played the elderly 001.
- No release date has been set for new episodes, but showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk has teased a 2024 return
- Hwang has also promised that “Gi-hun will come back”
- Episodes are likely to explore Gi-hun’s quest for revenge, while Jun-hon, In-ho and the recruiter are also expected to return
Hwang told Variety that he believes season two will premiere on Netflix before the end of 2024.
Cast
Hwang has promised that “Gi-hun will come back” in season 2, meaning we’re likely to see actor Lee Jung-jae again. Wi Ha-joon, Hwang Jun-ho, and Gong Yoo could also all return as Jun-hon, In-ho, and the recruiter, respectively, but the likes of HoYeon Jung and Oh Yeong-su probably won’t be coming back (given their characters are presumed dead).
Story
The most likely plot thread to explore is Gi-hun’s quest for revenge, but creator Hwang has also expressed an interest in delving deeper into the relationship between the Front Man, In-ho, and his brother, Jun-hon. We could see more of the recruiter, too.
That might sound like a long wait, but Squid Game fans should be grateful that a second season is in the works at all. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was, at first, hesitant to talk about whether or not Squid Game season 2 would happen (he initially told The Sunday Times that it wouldn’t), citing his desire to focus on other projects, including an upcoming feature film.
The runaway success of the show, though – which saw fans across the world tune in to Squid Game for a total of 1.6 billion hours during its opening month – seemed to encourage its creator to rethink his early reluctance.
What is the plot of Season 2 of Squid Game? Will new games be released?
Now the details get a little more speculative and unclear. Given how unpredictable the first season was, the plot of Season 2 is likely to be kept under wraps until the show airs. However, there are a few hints regarding additional plots that could be explored.
On the red carpet at the PGA awards in March 2022, Squid Game developer Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed that season 2 would have new games, but admitted that he hadn’t even started writing yet! “All I can say is that there will be more fantastic games.” Hwang explained. “I’m basically brainstorming and collecting ideas for Season 2 right now.” I haven’t even begun the writing process.”
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that comes close to a definitive solution. Hwang came up with the concept for Squid Game in 2008, pitched it in 2018, and saw it go into production in 2020 for a 2021 premiere. It’s difficult to determine if the show’s production cycle will speed up due to high demand or slow down to allow the creatives to create an even bigger spectacle. Season 2 was only announced last month, so we’ll have to wait at least another year.
Lee Jung-jae, star of Squid Game, previews season 2 storyline
The creator also recently stated that the upcoming episodes’ scripts had not yet been written.
“It’s here. It’s not on the page, but it’s right here “He remarked this while pointing to his head. “Everything is kept hidden. I’m at a loss for words.”
Good things, as they say, come to those who wait. After all, the final script for season one of the record-breaking series took Hwang about a decade to write. He began developing Squid Game in 2009 and kept it on his hard drive for years before pitching it to Netflix in 2016.
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“I knew that the perfect time for this stuff might be in the near future,” he told Variety. “I waited and waited and waited, and I made three features.”
Before season two is released, we may see the release of another Hwang project, Killing Old People Club, which is now in the works. It will be “another contentious film” and “more brutal than Squid Game,” he teased.