‘Squid Game’ Creator Teases “Crazy” Season 2 and Explains Decision to End Series With Season 3

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As a devoted fan of Squid Game, I am beyond thrilled to see the return of my favorite series and its captivating characters! After three long years, it feels like coming home again when I heard that Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun is back for another round in the deadly game.

Three years following the worldwide success and record-breaking viewership of “Squid Game” across all languages on Netflix, the series has returned for its second installment. The protagonist, Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun, will once again be drawn into the life-or-death competition. After turning down the chance to emigrate after his victory, Player 456 is now revisiting the arena with a fresh batch of contestants and a new objective in mind.

At a “For Your Consideration” award function in Los Angeles on Sunday, the creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk (who had won an Emmy for directing season one), discussed his methods for crafting the latest episodes following the show’s unprecedented popularity.

Hwang admitted that he felt some pressure due to the high expectations for a second season, as he hadn’t initially planned one when creating season one. However, if given the chance, he had an idea in mind for a potential storyline: Gi-hun would re-enter the games with the intention of ending them. He explained that seasons two and three will follow Gi-hun’s physical and emotional journey as he embarks on this quest.

At the event, Lee, who had previously won an Emmy for season one, playfully admitted that when he received the scripts for season two, he initially doubted they could be written so quickly. Upon reading them, however, he was astounded by their quality, remarking, “This is flawless, there’s nothing that needs to be altered.” He was left in awe of this talent, thinking, “This man is a genius.

During a discussion following the premiere of season two’s initial episode, Hwang conveyed that Lee’s character has been irrevocably damaged by his time within the game. He stated, “Gi-hun has encountered too many events and witnessed too many deaths, to the point where he can never revert to his previous state, no matter how much he strives for it.” Lee agreed, noting that “the Gi-hun from season one and the Gi-hun in season two are distinctly different.

Lee confessed that stepping back onto set with a nearly entirely new cast was “unusually disconcerting” because “for the first season, so many colleagues and co-stars invested their hearts and souls into it. With each round of the games, we had to bid farewell to so many people. As a result, memories from that time came flooding back very strongly, and because so many characters had perished on set, it felt like I was being dragged back to the underworld. I believe I could genuinely feel what the director aimed for me and my character, as whenever I walked onto the set, I wished more people would survive this time.

Netflix revealed this past summer that the popular series “Squid Game” would conclude with a third season, slated for release in 2025. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, creator Hwang shared that he is almost finished with the editing phase of season three and discussed his reasons for bringing the show to a close so swiftly.

Speaking about the conclusion for season three, the creator mentioned that it seemed fitting and intuitive to him. He felt that this served as the perfect finale because it allowed him to convey all the stories he intended to tell through the narrative of Squid Game, focusing particularly on Gi-hun’s character development. In his opinion, there was no need for any additional stories beyond this point.

Regarding the second season that will be available from December 26th, Hwang simply described it as “absolutely wild.

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2024-11-04 22:25