Squid Game spin-offs possible after hit Netflix series ends, says creator
It may be the end of Squid Game when the final chapter of the global phenomenon premieres on June 27 on Netflix.
However, creator-director Hwang Dong-hyuk is not closing the doors to the Squid Game universe that he introduced in 2021.
While he confirmed that there would not be a Season 4, he suggested there was room to explore the backstories and lives of the characters he created.
'I get curious myself when I write the story. What are the characters up to during the years between the seasons?' said the film-maker, 54, at a press conference held in Seoul on June 9.
He added: 'I could do Squid Game spin-offs or a prequel if the opportunity allows.'
Since its debut on Netflix on Sept 17, 2021, the fictional South Korean survival series – where contestants battle one another in gruesome games to be the last man standing to win 45.6 billion won (S$43 million) – remains the streamer's most popular show to date.
When Season 2 started its run in December 2024, it broke the record for most views of a show in its premiere week and made it to Netflix's global Most Popular Non-English TV list in just three days.
Season 2 ranks second on the list with 193 million views, second only to Season 1's 265 million views.
Fronted by actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun, Squid Game also won several Hollywood accolades in 2021 and 2022, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Picking up from Season 2's cliffhanger, Season 3 thrusts Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), aka Player 456, back into the brutal heart of the games after a failed rebellion. Having witnessed the death of his best friend at the hands of the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), the games' mastermind, Gi-hun is even more determined to take down the Front Man once and for all.
Season 3 also stars Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Yim Si-wan and Lee Jin-uk as some of the surviving contestants, while Wi Ha-jun and Park Gyu-young reprise their police and games guard characters respectively.
Calling his Squid Game journey a 'miracle', Hwang admits he never expected the series would receive such a reception.
'Everyone wants to have a successful career and a project, but nobody would have expected this much success from one project,' says Hwang, adding he particularly treasured the time spent on set with the actors and the interactions with international fans.
Lee Jung-jae, 52, says the series' strength stems from its ability to explore universal themes about humanity, capitalism and social inequality.
Cast of Squid Game 3 attending a press conference in Seoul on June 9.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
He also appreciates how the show balances timeless themes with well-written individual character stories and relationships.
Hwang hinted that viewers will see more 'twisted and fatal' games in Season 3, a highlight of the series.
The new spins on childhood games include a jump rope contest where the penalty will lead participants to fall to their death from a height. Another game is a deadly hide-and-seek set in a maze, where contestants will find themselves in life-threatening situations.
Lee Byung-hun, whose role in Season 2 saw him infiltrating the game as Player 001, says closing the final chapter 'is bittersweet'.
'I remember we started filming in May 2020. It's been five years and I can't remember how the years have flown by,' says the 54-year-old.
'I'm so honoured to be able to show the power of South Korean content through this series,' adds the veteran actor, expressing his gratitude for being a part of a series that has created such a global phenomenon.
Lee, who has starred in several Hollywood projects such as G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (2009), Red 2 (2013) and The Magnificent Seven (2016) and has been on the films' promotional events, said he had never felt 'so much passion' from fans before Squid Game's tours in the United States.
'I'm really grateful to have so many fans rooting for us,' he adds.
Joanne Soh is a lifestyle correspondent at The Straits Times, with a special interest in entertainment and pop culture.
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