Latest news with #Player222
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Squid Game star drops huge hint show will return but not in the way fans expect
Squid Games star Lee Byung-hun has shared his thoughts on a plotline that could be explored as part of a spin-off show after the final season's dramatic end Although Squid Game has officially wrapped after its third and final season, one of the show's major stars is fuelling new speculation that the story might not be over quite yet. Lee Byung-hun, who plays the mysterious Front Man, recently shared his thoughts about his character's evolution and the possibility of revisiting the hit franchise in a different form. At the end of Squid Game's explosive finale, viewers watched as In-ho, also known as the Front Man, left the island with Player 222 and travelled to Los Angeles to bring Gi-hun's possessions to his daughter. According to Lee, this moment was significant because it showed a shift within his character. "Frontman may seem like the embodiment of absolute evil in the story, having lost all hope in humanity and the world, but after going through all those ups and downs with Gi-hun, maybe he did have a change of heart, that there perhaps may be some hope left after all," he explained. "That's how I interpreted the character and portrayed him. "In the very final part of the series, Frontman goes to find Gi-hun's daughter to leave her with Gi-hun's tracksuit as a keepsake along with his prize money. He also chooses his brother Jun-ho – the only family he deeply trusts – to take care of Jun-hee's baby. "His decisions, I believe, showcase that while he tries to maintain his cold, he definitely has experienced some change of heart." Although Netflix and series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk have both confirmed that Squid Game will not return for a fourth season, there is still the possibility that a spin-off could be made. Hwang previously shared that he has been toying with exploring untold stories from the Squid Game universe, such as what various masked staff or recruiters were up to during the three-year gap between seasons one and two. Lee himself sounds eager to revisit his role if the opportunity comes up. He suggested one plotline that could still be explored in TV form, saying: "If there is a Front Man spin-off, how can I say no to it? It's a no-brainer. "The story of the spin-off would be key, though. It should be even more compelling than that of Squid Game. And I hope it deals with the backstory of In-ho, as fans are still thirsty for more." The finale also surprised fans with a star-studded cameo. In one scene set in Los Angeles, In-ho witnesses two people engaging in a game of ddakji. One of the players is a recruiter, who is played by Cate Blanchett. The brief moment sparked theories that Front Man might be involved in running deadly games internationally, and perhaps even connected to Blanchett's character. However, Lee cleared up some of those rumours. He revealed: "When I asked director Hwang before filming that scene to double check, he did confirm that In-ho was also unaware that the game was being placed elsewhere. So if you look closely enough, In-ho seems both surprised and bitter."
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Squid Game' Star Jo Yuri Drops New Single As Show Dominates Netflix
Ahead of releasing new single "Growls and Purrs," singer-actress Jo Yu-ri attends the screening of ... More "Squid Game 3" at The Plaza Hotel on June 18, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) As the third season of Squid Game earns its ninth day atop Netfix's Top TV Shows chart following its June 27 release, one of its breakout stars Jo Yuri is simultaneously pushing forward with her music career with a new single 'Growls and Purrs.' As a standout Squid Game star playing the desperate, down-on-her-luck Kim Jun-hee (a.k.a. Player 222), Jo Yuri earned widespread recognition for her acting but the 23-year-old first ventured into entertainment through music. In 2021, the Busan, South Korea star competed in the girl group competition series Produce 48, landing in third place and ultimately earning a spot in the girl group IZ*ONE that performed together until 2021, where they landed two Number One albums in Korea, along with a Number One album and two Number One singles in Japan. Jo broke out on her own as a soloist with several singles and EPs to her name. Her latest track, 'Growls and Purrs,' marks her music return ahead of her new EP, titled Episode 25, out on July 14, 2025. While Jo has experimented with everything from whimsical synth-pop on 2021's 'GLASSY' or feel-good rock-pop on 'Love Shhh!' from 2022, this latest track is a noticeably more mature style for the superstar. The easy-listening, jazz-tinged track allows Jo to step into a different kind of sonic soundscape, using lyrical motifs that describe her atypical way of loving, much like the way one's pet cat or dog might act. A significant part of this musical evolution can come at least in partial thanks to Jo writing 'Growls and Purrs' with Cloud, who also produced the track. Alongside his work in bands like The Volunteers, singer-songwriter-producer-keyboardist Cloud has kept his pool of collaborators small, working extensively with acclaimed singer-songwriter Yerin Baek on several of her albums, including massive hits like her 2017 breakout solo cuts 'Bye Bye My Blue' and 'Across the Universe,' as well as her Number One smash 'Maybe It's Not Our Fault' from 2019. Cloud recently signed with Blue Vinyl, the independent agency that Baek set up after she parted ways with her original agency, JYP Entertainment, which is home to huge K-pop acts like TWICE, Stray Kids and ITZY. Cloud has also collaborated with other female K-pop soloists, including Chung Ha, Hyolyn, Fei of miss A, and now Jo Yuri. 'Growls and Purrs' also comes paired with a 'VHS Diary' visual that showcases Jo through a raw, lo-fi, and colorful visual in an unexpected yet fascinating telling of the track. Viewers see the pet theme of 'Growls and Purrs' played out as Jo embraces several cat motifs, such as staring into a fishbowl, playing with a feathery cat toy, and knocking over tiny household items. Alongside the unexpectedly raw visuals, it's also refreshing to hear Jo Yuri take on this style and contribute to the songwriting. To date, the star only has a small amount of creative credits on her musical works, like co-writing the song 'Opening,' off her first EP titled Op.22 Y-Waltz: in Major, and 'SOMEDAY' from IZ*ONE's 2020 album BLOOM*IZ. With Squid Game looking unlikely to relinquish its hold on the Netflix charts anytime soon, Jo Yuri dropping 'Growls and Purrs,' as well as Episode 25, this week should all prove to be a savvy move to make this year an even bigger one for the singer-actress. Watch Squid Game star Jo Yuri's 'Growls and Purrs' music video below:
CNET
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Squid Game Creator Reveals Alternate Ending That Fans Say Should've Been the Real One
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has revealed that season 3 almost had a drastically different ending -- an ending that might have gone over better with fans still divided over how the hit series wrapped. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang said he originally wrote an ending where Player 456, Seong Gi-hun, leaves the deadly games behind for good. That's a sharp contrast to the version that made it to screen, where Gi-hun sacrifices his life in the end for the new Player 222. Hwang shared that his original plan for the Netflix series was far more hopeful. Gi-hun, the show's main character, would have ended the game, left alive and reunited with his daughter in the US. "In the beginning, I had a vague idea about how I would end the story. And back then, it was having Gi-hun end the game, in one way or another, and leave alive and go see his daughter in America," Hwang said. "So originally, I thought the person who witnesses the American recruiter woman would be Gi-hun." But over time, Hwang said the story evolved as he reflected on current events and the show's larger message. "I was witnessing more and more what was happening around the world," he said, and ultimately decided that Gi-hun's sacrifice should carry a heavier meaning. "I thought it was more fitting for Gi-hun to send this powerful and impactful message to the world," Hwang explained, adding that the darker ending was meant to reflect the urgent sacrifices needed in today's world to secure a better future. Read also: How to Watch Squid Game Season 3 on Netflix Audience reactions to the season 3 finale It's a choice that didn't sit well with a big chunk of the Squid Game fanbase. Some felt the final twist betrayed Gi-hun's character arc, especially after he spent two seasons suffering immense trauma and appearing to prioritize his family's safety. Others found it too bleak and open-ended, sparking passionate discussions -- and plenty of memes -- online. This isn't the first time a Squid Game finale has stirred controversy. When Season 1 premiered in 2021, the series became a global phenomenon almost overnight, smashing Netflix records and turning its bleak social commentary into must-watch television. But even then, the final episodes left fans divided. Now, Hwang's ending is fueling speculation about whether the show's final season will actually set up for a US spin-off show. Talk of a possible US spin-off Hwang emphasized that Cate Blanchett's surprise cameo as an American recruiter in the Los Angeles finale wasn't meant to set up a future spin-off, but rather to underline a broader thematic point. He clarified to The Hollywood Reporter that he "didn't end it on that note in order to deliberately leave room for further stories to happen," explaining that the storyline for Gi‑hun and the Front Man in Korea truly came to a close. He said that the American recruiter scene was crafted to symbolize the enduring nature of capitalist systems. That said, Hwang acknowledged rumors of a David Fincher–linked American version and said he'd watch it if it was made, but as of now, there's no official confirmation from Netflix. Read more: Netflix Review: Our Top Pick in a Sea of Streaming Choices
Cosmopolitan
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
All the Major ‘Squid Game' Season 3 Plot Holes You Might Have Missed
After three gripping seasons, Squid Game came to an end this weekend, as Seong Gi-hun faced off with Hwang In-ho (also known as the Front Man) one last time. New games were played in the form of Hide-and-Seek, and a super intense version of Jump Rope, which saw 222's newborn child taking on her number. While I was at the edge of my seat during all the gruesome challenges, eagle-eyed fans have pointed out some discrepancies from the third and final installment. From 222's baby, to the numbers of surviving players each round, here's all the Squid Game season three plot holes you might have missed... When it comes to Player 222's (Kim Jun-hee) newborn baby, we have so many questions. First of all, Player 222 gave birth in the middle of the Hide-and-Seek game when she was hiding from the blue team. How no one found her in the room as she was screaming from the labour pains and no one heard the baby crying is besides me. Then there's the issue of the baby's feeding and nappy changes. We saw the baby being fed twice on-screen—first by her mother and then again by a guard during the final feast, but never again. The baby was also being wrapped in player 456's uniform throughout most of the game, which is pretty unrealistic. "Did they give the baby diapers in Squid Game or did it just s*** and poop all over itself for the whole time," one viewer asked on X (formerly Twitter). I know this is Squid Game and the players do remain in their uniforms even after almost being beaten to death in games and are fed morsels of food, but these are adults as opposed to a newborn baby... During the game of Hide-and-Seek, the players with a blue bib had to each kill one player with a red bib in order to progress to the next round. They could also kill more players if they chose to. At the end it was revealed that 35 out of 60 players had lost the game, which one viewer said "doesn't check out". As we saw in the game, blue players had to successfully kill a red player in order to be successful. If they failed to do this in time, they would be eliminated. Blue players only needed to kill one player each, but they could kill more, which Player 333 (Myung-gi) and Player 124 (Nyam-gyu) did, automatically eliminating other red players who would then couldn't be found by an eligible blue player. This could have explained the number, although the math is a little dodgy. In the final episodes, Player 246 speeds away on a boat as he tries to get away from the island where the games take place. Judging by the speed and intensity at which he moved, one Reddit user pointed out that he would have been much further from the island. However, when the detective arrives and 246 points out where it is, it's so close. "Player 246 speeds away on a boat like he's sailing to freedom," the viewer wrote. "By the intensity and speed, I thought he had gotten FAR from the island... In the heavy mist, the island is right there when 246 points it [out]. And the marine takes so long to find the island. [This] makes no sense." There was no mention or sight of a coast guard during season 3, despite a massive ship setting sail. It's very unlikely such a big ship wouldn't have been noticed, yet the detective was out in the middle of the sea and was never interrupted... One viewer had a big question around the final game, which saw Gi-hun sacrifice his own life so that Player 222's baby could live and win the game. However, one viewer had an issue with this, asking on Reddit: "There's a rule in the games if you can quit at any time and you need a majority to quit so why didn't Seong Gi-hun just end the game? The baby would have abstained. And they both would have lived????" However, this isn't necessarily a plot hole but rather a change that was made in season 2. At one point, players were allowed to vote to end the game whenever they wanted and whatever the majority agreed would be the outcome. This was changed after season 2, so voting could only take place at a certain time and not once a game had started, which is very convenient considering the ending...
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What the 'Squid Game' baby says about us
Poor Player 222. Many of the doomed, desperate souls featured on 'Squid Game' wound up in Hwang Dong-hyuk's underground, deadly arena because of a few expensive, ill-advised decisions that plummeted their bank accounts deep into the red. But Kim Jun-hee, our Player 222 (played by K-pop star Jo Yu-ri), is there because she has no place else to go and no one to turn to. Orphaned at a young age, she hooks up with a bad boyfriend, crypto influencer Lee Myung-gi (Yim Swian), who persuades her to invest in what turns out to be a scam. In debt by tens of millions and pregnant by Myung-gi, who ghosts her, Jun-hee takes her chances with these death games. When she's introduced in season 2, her pregnancy is far along enough that Player 149, Jang Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim), notices she could go into labor any time. That makes it a foregone conclusion that Jun-hee will give birth at a most inopportune moment, which she does. By then, she's also broken her ankle, lowering her survival chances to zero when the next game is revealed to be jump rope. She recognizes this, hands off the newborn to the show's stoic hero Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), and jumps to her death. Watching this drama unfold from within their luxurious lounge are a group of masked VIPs who have placed bets on certain players. One drunken billionaire accidentally selected 222 and throws a fit when she dies. But then another suggests that the newborn should assume her mother's number and join the fun. 'Squid Games' recently concluded to mixed reactions, although the third season's six episodes garnered 60.1 million views worldwide between its June 27 premiere date and June 29, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That represents the largest three-day tally Netflix has ever recorded in its internal rankings. Whether it met expectations or fell short, enough people were invested in finding out whether Lee's empathetic Gi-hun would manage to survive this hell again. Entering the baby into the game, however, probably wasn't a move most people saw coming. It's preposterous. So is the idea of risking one's life by playing children's playground games for a shot at 45.6 billion won, equivalent to more than $33 million. Why shouldn't a baby have a shot at earning what its mother couldn't? After all, if it were born outside the arena, it would inherit Jun-hee's debt. Justifying why this pile of helplessness would be placed in competition with a group of bloodthirsty adult men might mean we're focusing on the wrong thing. Again. The same goes for the other predominant question about the baby: was it real, or CGI? Turns out it was a real . . . prop. In some scenes, Jo held a silicone dummy and in others, a robotic puppet. (Our last glimpse of the baby features a real child actor since the scene takes place in a safe environment.) But since Hwang intends 'Squid Game' to be a grand parable about late-stage capitalism, then each of its players must evoke some element of society, right? The third season features a scam queen shaman who builds a small cult of followers that she sacrifices to men hunting them with knives; a minor, failed pop star whose narcissism and drug habit make him dangerous; and a slimy executive who excels at talking his way out of disadvantageous situations. One might think of Jun-hee and her little girl as stand-ins for the women and children swept into limbo as a result of careless politics. But after watching 'Squid Game In Conversation,' an auxiliary episode featuring Hwang in dialogue with Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun, who plays Front Man, it seems even that is reading too much into the value of Player 222. From what we can surmise, the baby is a device to showcase the nobility of the show's male characters or lack thereof. That's it. Nothing more. Of course, devices have their use. In 'Squid Game In Conversation,' Hwang tells his actors that 'the most important decision in Season 3 was to give birth, to have the baby be born and to give Gi-hun his mission to protect it and finally save the baby by sacrificing himself,' he said. 'Everything led me there. When I finally landed on that idea, I realized, 'Ah, it was all for this.'' Maybe that's one reason the ending was dissatisfying. Please understand, this doesn't imply a belief that most people watching 'Squid Game' care about the fates of anyone in this show besides Gi-hun, let alone notice that no other female characters made it to the final game besides Player 222 2.0. Fewer may see the irony in the remaining women being killed off by a round of jump rope, a playground game predominantly played by girls.'Squid Game,' for all its bluntness, tries to hold up a mirror to the real world, where a cursory look around lets us know how little society values the lives of women and children. There have been many stories about the backlash against feminist discourse in Korea, stemming from protests about the wide wage gap between men and women, along with the general normalization of misogyny. Yoon Suk Yeol's anti-feminist platform is cited as one of the planks that won him the presidency in 2022. After Donald Trump was re-elected president, some American women began considering the principles of South Korea's 4B movement more seriously. The name is shorthand for bihon, which translates to 'no marriage'; bichulsan, which means 'no childbirth'; biyeonae, meaning 'no dating'; and bisekseu, which means 'no sex.' That sounds extreme until you read a few headlines. Right now, Georgia law is keeping a brain-dead woman on life support so her months-old fetus can gestate to term. Her family had no choice in that decision; state law grants fetuses personhood and bans abortion after the point at which an ultrasound can detect cardiac activity in an embryo. On Thursday, our Republican-held Congress passed an unpopular bill that strips funding from Medicaid and food assistance for low-income families. The New York Times quotes a sobbing Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, as saying, 'The amount of kids who are going to go without health care and food — people like my mom are going to be left to die because they don't have access to health care. It's just pretty unfathomable.' Hyung's sidelining of women in his violent fiction ranks much lower on our collective list of problems with the world, but you can't accuse him of being out of touch with politics. Even so, once you realize the role of women in this show is to sacrifice themselves in service of men's stories, you might also notice how much suffering is piled on some of them in the name of entertainment. As USA Today critic Kelly Lawler mentioned to a mutual friend, there was no need to break Jun-hee's ankle before sending her into a game she had no chance of surviving. She'd just pushed another human out of her body on the hard floor of some deadly maze. Hopping around after that is not in the cards for anybody. But giving birth is not enough. To ensure the audience cares about the robot baby, its mother must suffer greatly. Geum-ja is another mother willing to die for her worthless son, entering the games in the hope of paying off his debts without knowing he'd also signed on. She bravely stabs him to protect Jun-hee and her baby, but hangs herself shortly afterward. Women in 'Squid Game' are there to break in the most fetching ways. Jun-hee's anguish has a similar purpose to that of first-season favorite Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), who is nearly broken when she talks Gi-hun out of a morally reprehensible act. Soon after that, Gi-hun and Sae-byeok's shared adversary murders her in her bed, which certainly makes Gi-hun look like the better man. Her ghost reappears in the final episodes to utter the same words she told him then: 'Mister. Don't do it. That isn't you. You're a good person at heart.' Baby 222 lands on a more fortunate ending because, at least for now, killing infants for sport on TV is a terrible look. Granted, Myung-gi, the third surviving player at the end and the baby's father, looks willing to do that instead of becoming a single dad. Thanks to Gi-hun's knack for hanging on to the bitter end, we never have to find out what Myung-gi would have done. Gi-hun then trades his life for that of an infant with no parents, no name and no traceable identity. Front Man could have done anything with Player 222 Jr., but — nobly, again — leaves her in the care of his more principled brother Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), a former cop. Then he delivers the remainder of Gi-hun's winnings to his daughter, who now lives in the United States, and declares she wants nothing to do with him before she learns her father is dead. One of the last women seen in 'Squid Game' is an American recruiter played by Cate Blanchett, who grins at Front Man watching from his limo as she slaps some indebted fool. By then, we've mostly stopped thinking about that baby, which is just as well. She never really mattered in the first place. The following article contains spoilers for "Squid Game" The post What the 'Squid Game' baby says about us appeared first on
