‘Squid Game’ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk recently told the BBC that the stress from making the show’s first season caused him to lose ‘eight or nine’ teeth. Despite that, he returned to direct new episodes for Netflix, citing money as his motivator.
According to Hwang, the licensing deal with Netflix allowed his long-dreamed project to move forward but excluded him from its earnings after becoming a global phenomenon in 2021.
“Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly, I didn’t make much,” the director told the BBC. “So, doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too. And I didn’t fully finish the story.”
Compensation issues are a hot topic in Korea as the country turns into a key player in Netflix’s international strategy. Korean productions like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘The Glory,’ and ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ brought in a $2.5 billion investment from the streamer in 2023.
Now, Hwang’s show is set to return for Season 2 with a worldwide release on December 26. Lee Jung-jae will reprise his role as the winner of the first games, Gi-hun.
Set three years after Gi-hun’s victory, the upcoming season will see his return to the game to end it for good while a new rule will allow players to leave the game if majority votes to do so.
