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The Front Man Speaks: ‘Squid Game' Star Lee Byung-hun Unpacks His Character's Mysterious Inner Thoughts
[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the season three finale, 'Humans are …'] Lee Byung-hun's masked antagonist, known as The Front Man, has stalked the edges of Squid Game since its debut — the coolly enigmatic figure who oversees the show's merciless contest with a disturbing sense of detachment. But in seasons two and three, and especially in the series finale released last Friday, the character steps ever further into the spotlight, revealing new dimensions of sorrow, cynicism, and maybe even a lingering sliver of moral conflict. More from The Hollywood Reporter Tennis Star Taylor Fritz Is Eyeing His First Grand Slam - and He Really Hates to Lose 'The Residence' Was Mostly Good, But It Didn't Quite Earn a Second Season Moncler Casts Real Life Couple Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham in "London, A Love Affair" Campaign Played with masterful restraint by Lee, one of Korea's most celebrated movie stars of the last two decades, the Front Man is enigma personified, a man hollowed by tragedy whose only apparent joy is his unnerving devotion to procedure — and perhaps the occasional whisky sipped in solitude. But the Game grows increasingly personal for him after Gi-hun, aka Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae), re-enters the contest on a mission to challenge its central tenant — that human beings are fundamentally selfish and unworthy of grace or respect. In face of Gi-hun's sacrifice and unwavering commitment to basic human dignity, does a crack ultimately emerge in The Front Man's fatalism, or will he always remain the Game's loyal servant? In a wide-ranging sit-down with The Hollywood Reporter, Lee opened up about his character's evolution and the layered meaning behind several of the finale's most debated moments — including the Front Man's cryptic encounter with Gi-hun's daughter, and that unexpected encounter with the recruiter played by Cate Blanchett on the streets of Los Angeles. *** From the beginning, has been famed for its exceedingly dark vision of humanity, and the real world outside the show has arguably only grown darker during the five years since the series first went into production. Rather than dwelling on that, though, I wanted to start by asking whether there was anything about making that gave you hope, or made you feel better about human nature in an unexpected course, Squid Game is a show that explores the darkest aspects of our social and political situation, while also diagnosing an absence of humanity. So to see a story like that resonate with people all around the world? I was happy the show we had worked so hard on was successful. But another part of me, I have to admit, felt quite bitter about the fact that these issues resonated with so many people in such an urgent way. Later, though, I had another thought: The show ultimately says that we need to wake up and look at what we're doing to each other. So, the fact that people all around the world are connecting with this show and stopping to engage with and think about these themes — our collective loss of humanity — that could also mean there is hope for us. That's the hopeful way of looking at the whole phenomenon. The Front Man is profoundly enigmatic throughout the full run of . What did you come to understand about his beliefs and motivations throughout the process of making the show?You get a brief backstory of him in the series. He had a previous life as a police detective. He was a very ordinary guy with an ordinary family. But due to some really extreme and unfortunate circumstances, he lost his wife and child, and he experienced intense betrayal and desperation, which is what drove him to take part in Squid Game. Once inside the Game, he witnesses even more brutality and extreme cruelty right in front of him, and all of this makes him into an extremely pessimistic and cynical person who believes that there is no hope left for the world or humanity. And so, as he watches Gi-hun, he thinks that Gi-hun is too naive — and that he will end up just like himself, and only time will tell. About that last point, there were some key moments where I was really curious what the Front Man was actually thinking and hoping for. One is when he gives Gi-hun the knife, and watches Gi-hun contemplating killing the other players in their sleep. The Front Man is watching him very intently, and the audience is given a flashback to a time when the Front Man was put in the same situation and killed everyone mercilessly. So, in that moment, is the Front Man hoping Gi-hun will kill everyone just as he did — or something else? I'm glad you asked, because that uncertainty is exactly what I wanted viewers to feel when they watched that scene. I played that scene thinking there are both sides to him. I believe the Front Man wanted Gi-hun to live, because Gi-hun is someone he feels differently about compared to the other players, because of the time they spent together inside the Game. So if Gi-hun had killed everyone just as the Front Man did, the Front Man would have felt a sense of victory, because he would have been proven right in his core belief. He could say, 'See? You've ended up just like me.' On the other hand, if Gi-hun doesn't go through with it — which is what happens — the Front Man will feel a sense of defeat. He would also feel a form of self-reproach, or even envy, in seeing Gi-hun protect his values in precisely the way that he failed to do. However, I think deep inside him, part of him was almost rooting for Gi-hun. The deepest part of him wanted to see Gi-hun not give in and continue to hold onto hope for the world and for humanity. So I played that scene thinking that he was feeling all of these things, but in the deepest sense, the latter. It's really amazing how much of that comes across in your performance, despite how little you say and how brief that scene is. Were there aspects of yourself — your memories, personality or beliefs — that you tapped into to help you play the Front Man, this very impressive but broken man?For actors, every life experience you go through, every emotion that you feel in life — it all becomes an asset. And I think that whether or not I was aware of it when I was reading the script, all of my personal experiences affected the way I approached the character. So, yeah, there were definitely moments in my life when I wondered about the loss or absence of humanity — and it deeply upset me. It's hard to pinpoint particular experiences or events, but I've been through some of those internal struggles. But the entire experience of just living life is what most affected the way I played this character. How did you interpret the scene in the finale between the Front Man and Gi-hun's daughter? Is he stirring the pot to try to get Gi-hun's daughter curious about the Games? Or is this encounter a sign of his somewhat restored humanity — that he wanted to give her closure, and personally deliver the money her father won? I asked that exact question to the director when we were filming — and he responded by asking me the same question. So we ended up talking a lot about this scene — what is he feeling at that point, and what should my headspace be while I'm trying to bring the scene to life? At the end of the day, I would have to say it's closer to the latter. He's had a little bit of humanity restored and he's offering what Gi-hun left behind with a little sliver of the goodness that's left in his heart. But at the same time, his strongest feeling is simply to make sure that everything is done fairly and by the rules of the Game. However, it's also perfectly natural for the audience to consider a lot of possibilities, as you just have. Is there another motive behind this? Is he signaling the beginning of a new game? Is he sowing the seed so that the Game can be continued? All of that is ultimately open for interpretation. We knew this scene would spark a lot of speculation, so we put a lot of thought into it — even down to the detail of whether the green tracksuit should be bloody or whether it should have been washed. Similarly, I was wondering why the Front Man gave his brother the baby and the baby's money. Could this be one more test of humanity versus greed — to see what his altruistic brother will do with all of that cash? Or does he simply think that his brother is a reliable person and this is the right thing to do?After everything he's been through, I think the Front Man is a little sick of testing people or putting them through trials at this point. I think that impulse may have left after the Game ended — especially after everything he went through in his confrontation with Gi-hun, and after witnessing Gi-hun's sacrifice. So I think he left the baby with his brother mainly because he doesn't have a lot of options. Most of all, like always, he wants to follow the rules. The baby won the game, so the money should go to the baby. His brother is family and he knows very deeply that his brother is a reliable and trustworthy person, and that he will protect the baby and make sure no one takes the child's money. The rules say the money goes to the child, and his brother can help ensure that. Okay, one last scene interpretation question. The Front Man's reaction to seeing the recruiter played by Cate Blanchett on the streets of Los Angeles — is he surprised, or did he already know that there's another recruiter out there and the Game, or Games, will continue elsewhere? I wasn't sure how to read his director and I talked a lot about this scene as well. What's interesting is that when I first read the script, I had a different impression. I thought the Front Man had already known that there was another game — exactly the same — unfolding in another country. But I asked the director, just in case, and he told me, 'Please play the scene by imagining that you didn't know she was there.' This was really confusing for me, because I got a very different impression from the script and we were quite close to filming at that point. So we discussed it quite a lot, and here's the tone I decided to go for in that moment: As the series started, the Front Man had nearly no hope left in humanity — there was only a tiny little shred of goodness left in him, subconsciously. But through his journey with Gi-hun, he was able to nurture that sliver of hope, and by the end, as his Game came to a close, he's trying to look at things differently, thinking, 'Maybe Gi-hun was right; maybe there's something still there.' And he's trying to reach this sense of closure, and the potential for a new beginning — and then he sees this other recruiter, pulling new players into the Game. And now he realizes that this never ends. It's all going to just keep going. So, that sense of bitterness is the main feeling he's experiencing in that moment. I actually wondered whether what I was trying to communicate would be delivered to viewers, so thank you for the question. Cate Blanchett's appearance has sparked a lot of speculation about a potential U.S.-based spin-off. I know nothing is official, but now that the Front Man knows the Game is underway in America, how do you imagine the Game would work in the United States?Well, depending on the culture and local circumstances, I suppose the ambience and the arena and the specifics of the games could be a little different. There could be some U.S. elements in there. But still, as we've been discussing, I believe the reason the series received so much love across the world is because people everywhere can relate to its overarching theme of loss of humanity. I think that aspect is essential, so the U.S. players would have to go through a lot of hardship and face impossible choices. The essence of the Game would be the same. Another possibility fans have gotten excited about is a Front Man spinoff or prequel. If Netflix and some of your key collaborators are behind it, would you be up for it?Director Hwang and I have been joking about a Front Man spin-off since the beginning. We both thought that the Front Man or the recruiter could be interesting for more story, because we haven't really explored these characters in their entirety yet. Their backstory is still vague, and their character is still a little murky. To look at the Front Man with a full character study would be a very fun thing to do. So, as for your question — of course I'd be willing to star in it. The character has already been built and designed, and I'm very compelled by him. Just as the fans are curious to know more about him, I am too. That's a story I'd be very willing to tell. *** The final season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix. Read THR's take on the finale cameo and how it could set up a spinoff and our two-part interview with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk on the final season and final scene. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
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‘Squid Game' Star Unpacks Her Character's Sacrifice: 'I Could Not Stop Crying'
[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the season three finale, 'Humans are …'] Squid Game is a story about sacrifice in order to achieve a better future. In the end, the third and final season of Netflix's global mega-hit killed its protagonist so creator Hwang Dong-hyuk could deliver that message. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Old Guard 2' Review: Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne Bring All the Right Moves, but Netflix Sequel Doesn't Have the Same Kick Streaming Ratings: 'Squid Game' Final Season Sets Three-Day Record on Netflix Charts 'Tires' Renewed for Season 3 at Netflix The finale, titled 'Humans are…', saw reluctant hero Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) sacrificing himself so that the baby of two deceased players in the deadly South Korean Games could survive. The baby's mother, Kim Jun-hee, aka Player 222 (Jo Yu-ri), made the first ultimate sacrifice when, with a broken foot and unable to compete, she threw herself off a sky-high ledge and charged the then-alive Gi-hun to take care of her newborn baby, who was birthed during the prior game, in order to give her child the best shot at survival. The irony is that the final game came down to Gi-hun and the baby's father, Lee Myung-gi, aka Player 333 (Yim Swian), as they battled each other on another sky-high ledge. Gi-hun ended up victorious, but because of the final game's twisted rules and the baby now counting as a player, only Gi-hun or the baby could be left alive. When Gi-hun jumps to his death, the baby is then crowned the champion. The ultimate ending (complete with an A-list cameo from Cate Blanchett) is a bleak one, but there is hope for Jun-hee's legacy. In one of the show's final scenes, antagonist The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) leaves the newborn — along with the 45.6 billion won cash prize, about $31.5 million — with his good guy police detective brother, Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). Before the third and final season of Squid Game released to a new viewership record for Netflix, Jo Yu-ri was most likely recognized for her K-pop origins, first as a member of group Iz*One and then as a solo artist. Below, she spoke with The Hollywood Reporter via a translator about landing the standout role, her emotional reaction when learning about Jun-hee's fate and her hopes for the ending, before she had seen the final episode. *** Coming from the K-pop world and with your musical background, how did this role come to you? I received an audition request. The audition process was pretty lengthy, so it was three, four months of preparing for Jun-hee and then I got the role. I read that your audition was a process. What attracted you to Jun-hee and what made you want to fight for this role? I actually did not know what kind of role it would be, specifically. I really had no prior information on the character. What I was able to glean from the audition process was really only what director [Hwang] told me — her name and that she was pregnant. That was pretty much all I had during the process. But after I got the role, he gave me the script and that was when I was able to fill in the blanks. For her to enter the Games so far into her pregnancy, we assume she was at a point of desperation. But as we get to know her — and then see her ultimate sacrifice — we learn she is incredibly strong-willed. What backstory did you create to help you understand her better? As we know from watching the show, there's not a lot revealed about Jun-hee's backstory. I did have to work a little bit on my own to fill in those blanks. The director [Hwang] once mentioned to me that she could have tried to follow in Myungi's footsteps and tried to be a YouTuber, but I felt her personality wasn't quite right to be a successful YouTuber. In my mind, I think she made a few attempts but failed, then found out she was pregnant and was working odd jobs. That then led her to meet the man who recruits her. I understand that you wore a prosthetic belly and learned how to walk and act pregnant while you were filming. The labor scene was very intense to watch. Was the baby entirely CGI and what was it like to film that scene, along with your two co-stars Kang Ae-sim (Player 149) and Park Sung-hoon (Player 120), who also ultimately don't make it out of the Games alive? For the birth scene, I was really helped by my co-star Ae-sim. I took her advice a lot, and she really helped out. So filming that scene was difficult, but I definitely managed. With the baby, we actually had a silicone dummy doll version of a baby. We had two versions: one that was moving and one that was a robotic baby, and I remember alternating between those dolls to film that scene. But even if it was a doll, it just felt so real to me. I remember tearing up, just holding that baby in my arms. Jun-hee's death is so heartbreaking. The odds were against her, but as a viewer, we don't want to accept that she won't make it out. How did you react when you read her fate, and that she sacrifices herself and hands her child over to Gi-hun to give her child the best shot of survival? Was that why you had teased this season as being 'brutal and cruel'? Just the concept of having a pregnant woman in the Games made me think, 'How much more cruel is this [seasons two and three] going to be?' The scene where she decides to give Gi-hun the baby was definitely a super emotionally intense scene. I really tried my best to portray that sense of emotion and how torn she was. I was also very curious to see how the baby would factor into the Games, because at the time, I could not read the scripts that followed Jun-hee's death. So I was very curious. What was it like filming her final scene, in particular her final conversations with both Gi-hun and Myungi? Also, how immersive was that Jump Rope game set as you were filming her goodbye and going through the process of her making the decision to sacrifice herself? It was really emotionally difficult, especially my last conversation with Gi-hun. I really felt my emotions just spilling over and exploding. But the director [Hwang] asked me to pull it back a little bit, actually, and to keep it a bit more restrained. I remember that was even harder to do. My scene with Myungi is one I absolutely love because it was my audition scene. Jun-hee's words, especially in that scene, are so heartbreaking, and I found myself relating to when she is asking Myungi, 'With my foot like this, are you going to, what, carry me across?' Even after the cameras stopped rolling, I just could not stop crying. The finale boiled down to the father of the baby (Player 333), Gi-hun (Player 456) and Jun-hee's baby as the remaining players in the Sky Squid Game. Were you surprised when you found out the evil twist that the baby would actually become a player in the game, and take on Jun-hee's Player 222 number? What were your hopes going into the finale? I remember when I found out the baby was going to be a participant. I remember feeling despair and not even wanting that to happen. I remember almost tearing up. I have only seen up to episode five [the penultimate episode] of season three. The most positive outcome that I was trying to think of is that Detective Jun-ho finally figures out where the island is, and the Games stop. And then there are three winners left. That was what I was hoping for. [Writer's note: Though there were not three winners in the end, Jun-hee's baby was the ultimate winner and survived the Games and the series, giving the baby the best possible outcome.] *** The final season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix. Read THR's take on the finale cameo and how it could set up a spinoff, and our two-part interview with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk on making the final season and why he ended the series how he did. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
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‘Squid Game' Star Yim Si-Wan on Learning to 'Love the Hate' Fans Feel for His Character
[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the season three finale, 'Humans are …'] The Front Man, Squid Game's dark mastermind, remains the show's great enigma — what's driving him and what outcome was he truly hoping for all along? The finale of the Netflix global hit that released last Friday doesn't fully resolve those questions (as creator Hwang Dong-hyuk intended), leaving fans to hope that a rumored spinoff might eventually provide more there's a second figure of uncertain principles lurking at the heart of Squid Game's final two seasons: Myung-gi, the hapless, washed-up crypto influencer who stumbles upon his very pregnant ex-girlfriend, Kim Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), inside the Game. Things ended badly between them. But if a surprise pregnancy isn't the moment for a young man to find moral purpose, surely a surprise pregnancy inside a murderous game of death should be, right?For a time, it seems like Myung-gi, who is played by Yim Swian, just might rise to the occasion. Across seasons two and three, the character is repeatedly offered chances at redemption — to protect instead of deceive, to sacrifice rather than survive — and yet, he never manages to step fully into the light. Is he a narcisistic weasel, or simply youthfully mixed up? His descent is one of Squid Game's most uncomfortable character arcs — not because it's extreme, but because it feels painfully familiar, a portrait of moral failure shaded by charm, desperation and self-delusion. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Residence' Was Mostly Good, But It Didn't Quite Earn a Second Season Moncler Casts Real Life Couple Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham in "London, A Love Affair" Campaign Janelle James Looks Back on Not Getting Role on Netflix's 'GLOW' After She "Nailed" Audition The K-pop idol turned actor plays Myung-gi's ambiguities — and loathsome undercurrents — with unnerving precision. The Squid Game role marks a significant step up for the 36-year-old performer who has spent the past decade building a reputation for taking on unexpected, often morally complex characters, working somewhat against the type suggested by his flawlessly boyish looks. As Squid Game marched through its final six episodes to a stunningly dark denouement (including that A-list cameo from Cate Blanchett for the final coda), Myung-gi was there all along, his fate uncertain to the bitter end. The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Yim about his character's fateful decision in the series finale that makes him 'a pathetic coward' — and about how it feels to have become the character Squid Game fans now most love to hate. *** Your character has so many opportunities for redemption throughout seasons two and three, but in the end, he reveals himself to be purely self-interested. Did you speak to Director Hwang about what your character represents within the show's broader critique of late-capitalist society? Well, I don't think the character of Myung-gi can only be interpreted within the context of capitalist society. He's more of a character who poses fundamental questions related to human nature. In my view, he shows what happens to a person when they're put in an extreme position between morality and selfishness — and the ending that will find them if they make the wrong choice. When did you find out how far into the game your character would survive, and what was your reaction to that? When I finally had a chance to read all of the scripts, I learned that I'd be staying in the game for a very long while. Honestly, I wasn't exactly thrilled, because I got to see the ugly process that allows him to survive for so long. So that was a recurring question mark for me throughout shooting — is it really good that Myung-gi is still in the game? How should I be thinking about this? As for myself, Yim Si-Wan, I would have preferred that he died by sacrificing himself for Kim Jun-hee. I wish she could have been the one to play the final game with their baby. But it wasn't my choice to make. What was it like filming that final scene with Lee Jung-jae's Gi-hun, where you're fighting on the Sky Squid Game platform? How did you film that, and what was the experience like? It was the worst situation. Looking back on filming that scene, I still didn't really have full conviction or understanding of what kind of character Myung-gi is, even until that very last point. All the way up until then, I was always questioning his motives and what kind of character he is deep down. So in that last scene, I really had to listen closely to the direction I received from Director Hwang, putting all my effort into understanding and focusing on his intent. It's a dynamic action scene, but your character is also experiencing really intense emotions — toward his rival, Gi-hun, but also about himself, as he's realizing the choice he's making. That must have been a lot to balance. Yeah, it really was. But rather than thinking about the good and evil of humanity that's encapsulated in that scene, I just focused on the intense fear that the character would feel in that situation. So, rather than thinking about harming or not harming the baby, I was more focused on portraying how fearful Myung-gi would be in that situation. Fear is what I believed Myung-gi would feel most of all, because ultimately, he's a pathetic coward. So, I made the choice that fear was the basis of my whole performance in that sequence. How have fans reacted to your character, and has it changed how people approach you or talk to you about your work? Well, I've seen the comments online. [Shakes his head, sheepishly] I also got loads of texts and messages from friends right after season three was released. A lot of them said they really enjoyed the show and found the ending shocking. But even some of my friends sent me hate messages — like, 'You're so bad! Horrible! How could you do that?' (Laughs.) On the one hand, that means your performance was really effective, since people have had such a visceral reaction. On the other, you're a rising star but now you're identified with a globally loathed character. How do you feel about it? I think I need to love the hate. So I'm going to take it all as a compliment. It's okay — you can hate Myung-gi as much as you like. Getting involved in Squid Game was a huge stroke of luck in my life. But at the same time, I think it's best if I don't read too much into it and just leave it as a really memorable experience. Instead of letting this huge show reshape my whole life, it'll be best if I can just maintain the attitude of being a diligent, hardworking actor. I hope I'm essentially the same guy — before and after Squid Game. *** The final season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix. Read THR's take on the finale cameo and how it could set up a spinoff, interview with Jo Yu-ri (Jun-hee) and our two-part interview with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk on the final season and final scene. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
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‘Squid Game' Creator Explains His Hero's Fate and Talks Spinoff Potential
[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the season three finale, 'Humans are…'] No one has more anticipation around the release of the final season of Squid Game than its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Squid Game' Series Finale: Who Survived and How the Final Scene Could Set Up a Spinoff RTL's Sky Deal Signals "Get Big or Get Out" Strategy for Europe's TV Giants Comcast to Sell Sky Deutschland to Bertelsmann's RTL Group 'For the past six years, there hasn't been a single day that went by without me thinking about Squid Game,' says the writer and director of every episode of Netflix's most globally popular show of all time. 'This is something that has completely consumed me.' After launching with season one in 2021 to global appeal, it was a no-brainer for Hwang and Netflix to continue their partnership. Seasons two and three were made back to back, with the second season launching six months ago before the third and final season now releasing on Friday with the South Korean dystopian drama's final six episodes. There are reports that filmmaker David Fincher is developing an English-language spinoff for Netflix, though sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Squid Game's ending (which includes a final-scene cameo from a prior Fincher collaborator, described below) is not intended to set up any future stories 'at this time.' As Hwang had promised, the final episodes do conclude the story of his protagonist, reluctant hero Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the indebted father who won the deadly Squid Games in season one and returned to take them down in seasons two and three. Despite his valiant efforts, however, Gi-hun doesn't make it out of this story alive. Instead he sacrifices himself so the newborn baby of another player, Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), can survive. The baby — whose mother and father, Lee Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan), aka Player 333, both died during the games — ultimately takes on his mother's role as Player 222 and wins the Games. The duality of bleakness and hope in the ending of Hwang's anti-capitalist thriller leaves viewers with much to think about, especially with the final scene of the series featuring a surprise cameo from Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett as the Recruiter for an American version of the Squid Games. The scene either shuts the book on the story by making the cyclical point that the Games will go on, or opens the mega-successful franchise to continue on with a possible continuation spinoff series. (Netflix has not yet commented.) Below, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Hwang via a translator after watching the first five episodes of the final season (the finale was not screened ahead of time for press) to talk about Squid Game's final, timely message and possible future, while also revealing what he struggled with the most in crafting Gi-hun's ending: 'If season three is met with as much love as people loved season one, then I think I'm definitely going to feel less empty about saying goodbye,' he says. *** In our ahead of season two, you attributed the mass appeal of your Korean series to the rest of the world finding these characters and their stories to be unique. How did you lean into that when making seasons two and three back to back? I don't know if I was aware of what to lean into particularly, but because so many people loved the story and the characters in season one, that experience gave me a lot of confidence. I think I was more aware, if not anxious, about how other people were going to react to the story when I was creating season one. But in seasons two and three, based on that foundation that I had gained through the success of the first season and all of the love, I was able to tell the story the way I wanted to tell it. You also said that seasons two and three, and particularly the new voting aspect with the Os vs. the Xs, was inspired by the direction the world was going in at the time. I felt constantly disappointed that the Os always won — no matter how bad the Games got, they voted to continue playing. What are you saying about modern society with the majority of the players voting for their own demise? Recently, whether it's within Korea or in America, things that I've gone through, either directly myself or events that I read or hear through the news, it seems to me that around the world, the conflict that begins because of election and votes is just getting worse. It is exacerbated. Elections have always put a divide among people. We pick sides and we go through conflicts during elections. However, I think in the past, up to some point in time, we tried to at least listen to one another. I think we had more tolerance of each other. However these days, I do not think that is the case. The conflict and divide that comes from taking different sides in an election is becoming more and more extremist, where people no longer think that other people can be different from you. It's more of, 'I'm right, and all of you are wrong.' And it also leads to a lot of violence. On top of that, there is so much populism and propaganda, as well as AI-generated fake news and an algorithm-based consumption of news. All of that leads to a lot of extremist thinking, and so many people are misled because of those things. I wanted to reflect all of these current events in Squid Game. It was equally disturbing to watch the VIPs delight in the tragedy of the Games this season. Why did you want to return to the VIPs and focus on them more in season three? You are right that the role of the VIPs has gotten bigger compared to season one. Here is where I was coming from: In the past, the people who are symbolized through the VIPs were behind the curtain, right? They were veiled and hidden while controlling politics and society. However, I feel like more and more these days, the people who do the controlling rise above the surface more. They let people know that they're backing [whatever it is] they're paying the money for and financing these decisions. In the past, the VIPS were hidden. But recently, and I think this is more so in America than in Korea but also true in Korea, they become so much more obvious. They reveal themselves, letting people know that they're the ones in control and the ones in power. I wanted to explore that a little bit. And I think that's a connection with the anti-oligarchy movements and the way the discourse is happening these days. You raised the stakes by not only having a very pregnant player (Jun-hee), but then having her newborn baby officially join the Games. I think we all felt secure that the show would not kill off a pregnant woman. But after she had the baby, we saw her make this self-sacrifice where she killed herself to give her child a better chance. Going into the finale, viewers remained worried about the fate of this baby. Did this storyline feel like a risk? What does the baby represent? Since it is the finale, I thought that raising the stakes and taking a bigger risk in true Squid Game fashion was the right way to go. Through that, I wanted to expose to an even a more accurate degree the rock-bottom of humanity and also shed light on even brighter hope. I believe that through the baby, Gi-hun is able to show those themes in a more detailed way. I believe that all of us are able to live in this world the way we do due to the efforts and struggles that our previous generation went through in order to give us a better world. And the reason we need to try to right the course of the world is because we want to give a better world to our future generation. So in our story, the baby not only represents human conscience, but also the future generation for whom we need to fix the way we are. You going into season two that this third season would bring about the conclusion of Gi-hun's story. We've watched for three seasons the evolution of his character, and we see how broken down he is by the end. What was the biggest challenge in figuring out how to end his story? The biggest challenge I would say was, how far did I want I want to throw Gi-hun down the pit, and then from where do I make him rise up again? At the end of season two, he fails the rebellion. He loses the people that he had gone to rebellion with, including, of course, his best friend. But I wanted to dig even deeper than that in season three. The process of Gi-hun's arc where that immense amount of guilt that he carries and all of that tragedy through the rebellion, it just completely consumes him and he cannot take it any longer. So he projects that immense guilt onto this character Dae-ho [Player 388], who failed to return with the ammo [during the rebellion]. Gi-hun struggles in order to escape this immense sense of guilt and that leads him to, as you see in [episode two during Hide and Seek], kill someone for the first time, based on his guilt. This means that now there is blood in Gi-hun's hands. He commits an irreconcilable original sin. And so depicting and writing the process of that character arc where Gi-hun is in that state and how he comes back from that? That was the biggest challenge. That was what I struggled the most with. As for what I came what I came up with, hopefully after watching the entire show, the audience will understand and support the conclusion. You offered up . You've talked about wanting to revisit the time gap between seasons one and two, and possibly explore backstories for other players and guards. Do you feel that the show ends in a way that could set up a continuation spinoff, or are you more interested in traveling back in time if you did continue this franchise? I think the story ended in a manner where it doesn't need a further story to be told. So I am not too interested in telling a story that continues on from the conclusion. If I were to do a spinoff someday, I think I would rather choose to go back and see what happened during that time gap [between seasons one and two]. But this is something that we are just tossing around, so as for when or how a spinoff might come about, it's still up in the air. I know you lost several teeth when making season one due to the pressure, and I read that you lost two more teeth due to the stress of making this final season. The finale was so secretive that it was held back from press ahead of release. How challenging has it been for you to keep this all a secret, and how are you feeling now that you're finally able to launch the final season? As you said, there were so many secrets. There were rumors about leaks, sometimes fake news, all of which I constantly get on social media and check and follow up on. I personally got so many questions from people around me. People would ask me, 'What happens to Gi-hun? What happens to these characters? What games are going to be there? Just say yes or no.' (Laughs.) So to be free from all of that fear and burden, I do feel relieved. But as we are releasing the show and saying goodbye, for the past six years, there hasn't been a single day that went by without me thinking about Squid Game. This is something that has completely consumed me for the past six years. So to know that I have to say goodbye, I admit, I do have the sense of almost a loss, or I feel quite empty, to be honest. But I hope that if season three is met with as much love as people loved season one, then I think I'm definitely going to feel less empty about saying goodbye. The Jump Rope game felt like a character this season; it was so visceral watching that game. Was that something you were proud to have accomplished when you look back at season three? It wasn't as hard to write the game Jump Rope, but it was definitely one of the harder ones to film. In the writing process, the most challenging were the fourth and sixth games [Hide and Seek and Sky Squid Game], because of their psychological aspect. Jump Rope was relatively easier to write. But then once I had the actors up there on set, we had to make sure that everybody jumped at the same beat. There was a lot of CGI involved to add the sense of height, as well as have the rope. Then on top of that, we had to use a lot of sound effects for the rope. So speaking of manpower and just the amount of time we spent in creating it, it took so much more to create Jump Rope. I think this game may be visceral, as you put it, because it really requires all five senses to see what's going on. I hope the audience finds it very thrilling. *** The final season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix. Read THR's take on the finale cameo and how it could set up a spinoff. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
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4 days ago
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‘Squid Game' Series Finale: Who Survived and How the Final Scene Could Set Up a Spinoff
[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the season three finale, 'Humans are…'] The Squid Games are over — or are they? More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Squid Game' Creator Explains His Hero's Fate and Talks Spinoff Potential RTL's Sky Deal Signals "Get Big or Get Out" Strategy for Europe's TV Giants Comcast to Sell Sky Deutschland to Bertelsmann's RTL Group The finale of the third and final season of Netflix's global hit series Squid Game has now been released into the world, and the ending from series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk accomplished two things. Hwang, who writes and directs every episode, delivered on his promise that this final season of his anti-capitalist thriller would conclude the story of protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). The returning Player 456 met a tragic ending to conclude his second round competing in the deadly Games, which explains why Hwang said all along that the streamer's most-streamed series would only be a three-season story. During the final and fatal 'Sky Squid Game,' Gi-hun went into the last round as one of three remaining players, along with Lee Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan), aka Player 333, and — in the series' most evil twist to date — the newborn baby who was born earlier during the Games. That baby of Player 333 and Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), the latter who sacrificed herself for her baby's survival in the previous Jump Rope game, ends up as the Game's winner. After a fight for survival with Player 333, Gi-hun had emerged alive, but had failed to press the button to officially start the round. Per the game's twisted rules, there had to be one death per round, so Gi-hun ended up sacrificing himself in heart-rendering fashion so the baby, who had taken on Jun-hee's Player 222 role, could survive. This leaves the baby as the sole survival among all of the contestants who had been introduced in both seasons two and three. This season brought about the devastating deaths of fan-favorites also including transgender former soldier Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), aka Player 120, who was stabbed by Player 333 while trying to save Jun-hee and her baby; and mother Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim), aka Player 149, and son Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), aka Player 007, the latter who was killed by his mother during the Hide and Seek game so Jun-hee and her baby could continue on. Outside of the players, the series did leave several survivors, including the game's enigmatic overseer, The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who ended his time on the series by tracking down Gi-hun's estranged daughter, Ga-yeong (Jo Ah-in), in Los Angeles. Gi-hun had left his daughter behind in order to go back into the Games for season two, motivated by his survivor's-remorse and hopes of destroying the Games from within. In the six-month time jump that ended the series, viewers saw Gi-hun's daughter holding the debit card that we know contains the prize money from the first game that Gi-hun won: 45.6 billion won, which translates to about $31.5 million. Whether The Front Man's visit to Gi-hun's daughter is truly altruistic remains open for interpretation. Detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) and his helper in tracking the island, Choi Woo-seok (Jun Suk-ho), were also alive by the series' end. And in another twist of empathy, The Front Man left his brother an even bigger windfall when the Detective returned home to find Jun-hee's surviving and healthy-looking child, along with the 45.6 billion won prize money that comes with Player 222's winning title. But the final-final moment that viewers saw with The Front Man was the biggest surprise of all. After Front Man's brother had finally discovered the location of the Games, the VIPs and Pink Guards evacuated the island before one final, brief encounter between the brothers. With the Games infiltrated, The Front Man destroyed all evidence by blowing up the island; he and his brother both escaped to safety, along with the baby. So the Squid Games are now effectively over, right? Not so fast. After delivering the items to Gi-hun's daughter, The Front Man is seen driving through Downtown L.A. where he hears the all-too familiar sound of The Recruiter's ddakji game. (Gong Yoo played the Korean Recruiter who died in season two.) Peering through an alley, The Front Man then spots a new Games 'Recruiter' — played by none other than two-time Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett in a major cameo that was kept secret until the show released. On the streets of L.A., Blanchett's character was dressed in the Recruiter's familiar suit and packed an equally mean wind-up slap, this time across the face of a desperate American who no doubt is being recruited for the deadly Games. We can only assume her character is recruiting American players — could they be for a U.S. version of the show's eponymous death game? Netflix has not confirmed if or how the show's franchise will continue on and while creator Hwang has indicated his interest in a possible spinoff, he has suggested setting a potential follow-up story in the past to explore the big time gap between seasons one and two. In a final season interview, he told The Hollywood Reporter any spinoff conversations are only in the beginning stages but that 'I think the story ended in a manner where it doesn't need a further story to be told. So I am not too interested in telling a story that continues on from the conclusion. If I were to do a spinoff someday, I think I would rather choose to go back and see what happened during that time gap [between seasons one and two].' So what the future holds for the Squid Games — and Blanchett's possible role in them — remains the biggest lingering question now hovering over Netflix's most globally popular show of all time. With this ending, Hwang has again accomplished two things. First, he left hope. Not only did Jun-hee's baby survive and emerge as the winner, but there was also that callback to the first season — when the family of Gi-hun's friend from the first round of the Games, the deceased Sae-byeok (Hoyeon), is reunited — and the cliffhanger of this season's heroic Pink Guard, No-eul (Park Gyu-young), getting a call that her child who she thought was dead may be alive. But then there is the despair of seeing the Games continuing on with Blanchett's Recruiter, in whatever form they may take. So until Netflix weighs in on that future, Squid Game leaves us left to ponder Gi-hun's final, unfinished words: 'Humans are…' The final season of Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix. Read THR's take on the finale cameo and full final season interview with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
