Squid Game Scenes That Were Left On The Cutting Room Floor

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“Squid Game,” a series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, has captivated audiences worldwide with its intricate character development and intense action scenes. However, not all ideas initially envisioned for the show actually appeared on screen. It’s been discovered that several scenes from Season 1 of “Squid Game” were not filmed, while some made it to the camera but were later removed due to production issues. These omitted moments serve as intriguing tidbits for fans to discover, though they may leave some questions unanswered by Season 2.

In Squid Game, several intriguing yet excluded scenes were planned. Ranging from a phone number causing real-life troubles to a sneak peek of a significant character that led to an unexpected cosmetic surgery, these scenes offer a variety of unconventional twists. Here’s a look at all the scenes cut from “Squid Game” and the reasons behind their exclusion from the final edit.

A phone number was trimmed from Season 1

During Season 1 of “Squid Game,” one overlooked error that slipped past editors involved the inclusion of a real South Korean phone number in Episode 1. This number, intended to be fictitious, included the 010 mobile code – a prefix commonly used for Korean mobile phones. Unfortunately, this mistake caused quite a bit of inconvenience for one individual when genuine calls started coming their way.

For over a decade, I’ve relied on this specific number, so it came as quite a shock. Surprisingly, I’ve had to eliminate more than 4,000 numbers from my phone. This unexpected revelation was shared with South Korean newspaper Money Today (as reported by The Guardian). It wasn’t until my friend clarified that my number had been featured on a popular show, that I realized why I was receiving so many prank calls. To add insult to injury, she further explained that altering my phone number is not an option because my long-standing business contacts rely on it.

Netflix issued a request for viewers to stop contacting a specific woman, as they had removed and replaced her phone number in an old episode. However, it seems that the issue had already spread before this change was made. The woman reportedly declined a five-million-won offer from the streaming service (an amount which Netflix did not verify), but a more tempting proposal of 100 million won for the rights to the number came from South Korean presidential candidate Huh Kyung-young. It is currently unknown if she accepted this second offer.

The first look at the Front Man got clipped

Initially, the introduction of character Front Man Hwang In-ho (played by Lee Byung-hun) was intended to unfold differently than it did in the first season of “Squid Game.” However, producers chose to keep that intriguing detail a secret until the finale.

The single scene from Season 1 of Netflix that’s been made public so far features the character known as the Front Man, sans mask, bringing a goldfish into an apartment. He places it in a bowl, then observes it swimming. Simultaneously, someone unidentified watches him from behind a window. This scene seems to offer a critique on the very nature of Squid Game, and its covert adoration for human suffering.

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In Season 1, Netflix has released just one scene officially where we see the Front Man, without his mask, transporting a goldfish into an apartment. He puts it in a bowl and watches it swim, while an unknown individual watches him from a window. This scene could be interpreted as a critique of Squid Game’s clandestine fascination with human misery.

In other words, the pivotal scene from Season 1 wasn’t included initially, but its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, mentioned to Tudum that he always thinks about what his audience will accept. He wonders if they would find it illogical or absurd: “Would they find this unbelievable? Would they think it’s preposterous?” Although the clip might not push the audience’s limits of belief, it would have significantly altered the emotional impact of the heart-wrenching Episode 8 scene where Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) discovers that his long-lost brother was actually the Front Man.

Season 1 had a different ending

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that a significantly happier ending for “Squid Game’s” protagonist, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), was almost chosen – one where he would have left his ordinary life behind and moved to California. However, he ultimately decided against this more upbeat conclusion because he felt that the series, with its unresolved mysteries from Season 1, would have been incomplete without leaving room for further exploration.

Dong-hyuk clarified that our initial query, which we aimed to pose, couldn’t be addressed since he had departed on the plane. However, to unravel the mystery of why the world has reached its current state, it’s only possible if Gi-hun returns and approaches the camera. Unfortunately for the fans, they were left hanging, much like during Season 2, with an unresolved question.

The original Squid Game was supposed to be a movie

It’s possible that there could be more deleted scenes from “Squid Game” available somewhere, but passionate fans may never get to see them because some of the material was originally intended for a movie script, which means additional scenes related to the series might not have been filmed yet.

In 2009, Hwang Dong-hyuk initially penned the script for it as a full-length movie and that process took roughly eight to nine months of his time. However, he transformed the screenplay into nine hour-long episodes in 2019, and the series quickly gained popularity and became extremely successful in 2021.

Of course, viewers have no idea which parts of the original movie concept were discarded as it transformed into the extensive “Squid Game” series. This leaves room for many intriguing “what if” scenarios. The initial movie might have had a distinctly different mood or introduced characters that remain unseen. Given the series’ heavy use of foreshadowing, even Season 1 appears altered now after watching Season 2. Without the script of the original movie treatment becoming available, these mysteries will likely remain unsolved.

It’s also worth mentioning that Hwang Dong-hyuk has been developing a feature film titled “K.O. Club,” inspired by Umberto Eco’s novel “The Killing Joke Club.”

At least one outtake made it into the show

Originally, a scene where Seong Gi-hun accidentally spills Kang Sae-byeok’s coffee in Episode 1 of Season 1 was intended to be cut from the show. However, during the filming of “Red Light, Green Light,” Lee Jung-jae improvised by returning her coffee, causing Ho-yeon to burst into laughter. This moment was supposed to be excluded but was ultimately kept in due to its significant portrayal of Seong Gi-hun’s character and its impact on the series as a whole.

Hwang Dong-hyuk stated to Mashable that this particular scene, initially discarded as an outtake, was too compelling not to include in the final cut. Jung-jae concurred, emphasizing that it subtly highlights the heroic qualities of his complex character. As for future insights, only time will reveal which minor scenes and intricate details might be shared with audiences, given that “Squid Game” Season 2 is now available on Netflix.

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2025-01-10 03:00