Latest news with #Player456
Nylon
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Nylon
OWNDAYS launches limited-edition Squid Game collab
In its first-ever collaboration with Netflix, OWNDAYS brings you the Squid Game limited-edition eyewear collection, reimagined with the hit series' most iconic visuals and characters. Image courtesy of OWNDAYS. This collection features six new eyewear designs in two colours each, from the green player tracksuits and the Young-hee doll, to the surreal maze-like pastel-coloured staircases. Each pair of glasses also comes packaged in a limited-edition case designed to resemble the iconic 'coffin' from Squid Game, as well as a soft pouch that doubles as an eyeglass wipe. Image courtesy of OWNDAYS. If you're a fan of Player 456, you would like the Tracksuit model which offers trendy square frames in the unmistakable green of each contestant's tracksuits, along with 456's number and the pink guards' signature symbols subtly detailed along the temples. Image courtesy of OWNDAYS. Those who love the 'Red Light, Green Light' doll would probably like the Young-hee model — a pair of oversized Boston-shaped frames with 3D touches inspired by her hairband and pigtails. Image courtesy of OWNDAYS. For the Piggy Bank model, you'll find hexagon-shaped frames with bill-patterned temples and a cheeky pig motif along the nose bridge for a playful twist. Image courtesy of OWNDAYS. Exude a bit of mystery just like the game's elusive overseer with the Frontman model, featuring polygonal Boston frames and temples that mimic mesh, stamped with the familiar circle, triangle, and square motifs of the guards. Image courtesy of OWNDAYS. Of course, who can forget the colourful flights of stairs that the players take to head to the next game? The Staircase model features clear Boston frames reminiscent of dalgona candy, with temple tips that trace the pastel maze of staircases. Image courtesy of OWNDAYS. Lastly, a decision-making process that was incorporated in season two gets honoured here with the OX model and its sharp square frames, marked with both O and X symbols. The OWNDAYS x Squid Game collection is now available at all OWNDAYS stores, as well as online at
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Squid Game season 4 isn't happening - but fans shouldn't lose hope yet
Squid Game showrunner-writer-director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has firmly confirmed the end of the famed show after three blockbuster seasons. In a letter to fans shared on Netflix's official website in July 2024, Dong-hyuk wrote: 'I am beyond excited to announce the date for Season 2 and share the news of Season 3, the final season. I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story. I need to wrap up Gi-hun's journey and convey a message to the audience right now. 'The message I wanted to communicate was that if we solely pursue our immediate self-interest, and refuse to self-restrain, sacrifice, or bear any costs, and if we don't put our heads together, we have no future.' Netflix's Tudum also confirmed there will be no Season 4 of the record-breaking show. In another statement shared via Tudum , Dong-hyuk said: 'Creating 22 episodes was a tough journey, so I feel bittersweet now that it's over. At the bottom of it all is the joy we felt as we made something together. "The moments when I thought, 'What I had envisioned in my head is actually materializing right in front of me.' Seeing scenes come to life — even better than I imagined — was deeply moving. I'll miss and hold onto that feeling for a long time," he added. However, all hope is not lost for fans of the series. In a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly , Dong-hyuk revealed he has been contemplating potential spin-offs to his mega-famous franchise, sharing that he has been toying with an idea through which the Squid Game universe can potentially carry on. The show creator said: 'I actually had this faint ideation about possibly a spinoff — not a sequel, but maybe a spinoff about the three-year gap between season 1 and season 2 when Gi-hun [Lee Jung-jae] looks around for the recruiters." He continued: 'There is that three-year period, and maybe I could have a portrayal of what the recruiters or Captain Park [Oh Dal-su] or officers or masked men were doing in that period, not inside the gaming arena, but their life outside of that. So that is some vague ideation that I have that could possibly be developed in the future.' Dong-hyuk conclusively shared: 'Season 3 is indeed a finale, and you'll be able to feel that once you watch. But I'm not trying to say that I'm going to close the door to spinoffs or sequels altogether because they say never say never." As for the fate of Player 456? Gi-hun's story will come to a decisive end, as seen in the final episode of Squid Game's third season. Creating the show has come at a heavy personal cost to the showrunner though. Dong-hyuk confirmed to Entertainment Weekly last month that he lost two more teeth while making the show's final season. This is in addition to the eight teeth he 'had to pull out' while making the first season of the ultra popular Korean show. He shared: 'I thought it was going to be okay, but this time I had to pull out two more teeth as well. I had to pull out about eight teeth in season 1, and now I have two teeth more out, and I haven't put them back in yet. So I'm waiting for them.'
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Squid Game' Star Lee Jung-jae on His Hopes for Gi-hun's Daughter and the ‘Harsh' Finale Diet That Pushed Him to the Edge
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers from the 'Squid Game' series finale, now streaming on Netflix. Lee Jung-jae's Seong Gi-hun has always been the beating heart of 'Squid Game,' and his ultimate sacrifice allows the dour finale to have a flash of humanity shine through. More from Variety 'Squid Game' Success Validates Netflix Korea's Local-First Philosophy, Says Content Chief Don Kang (EXCLUSIVE) 'Squid Game 3' Sets Netflix Record With Massive 60.1 Million Views in Three Days 'Squid Game' English Dub Actors on Voicing Emotional Finale Scenes: 'I Just Want to Jump Out of My Body and Be This Character!' (EXCLUSIVE) Lee spoke with Variety about the day he learned Player 456's fate, his conversations with 'Squid Game' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk about the series finale and his hopes for Gi-hun's daughter. Now that it's all been released, I think the ending was definitely something that a lot of the audience didn't expect to see. I know there are a lot of people with a wide variety of different opinions about the ending, and I'm following up on all of them. I know a lot of you like to express what you thought about the ending on social media, so I'm trying to check all of them. I got the entire script for Seasons 2 and 3 at the same time, and I read everything the day that I got it. That's when I learned about my character's fate and the ending. I was very shocked too, because it was not something I had expected to see. I remember speaking a lot about this ending with Director Hwang, and I asked him, 'Did you have different endings in mind? Were there different versions?' And he told me that he did think of other endings. However, he did share with me that he believed this was the right way to end the story of 'Squid Game.' He also shared with me that I shouldn't look at Gi-hun's sacrifice as just simply a sacrifice itself, but what if we could look at it as something that shows or symbolizes hope for humanity? That was part of the many conversations between the director and me, and we thought a lot about how the audience was going to respond to Gi-hun making his choice before he finishes what he was saying. I remember, even on the day that we shot that sequence, I believe a lot was going through his mind. I think he was also considering a different version of Gi-hun finishing what he was saying. I was also thinking a lot about different versions of that, too. But I believe Director Hwang wanted the audience to finish the sentence in their own way and in their own interpretation. I believe he designed the scene and the sequence so that the end of the sentence belongs to all of the audience, and they are the ones who will finish it with their own emotions and their own journey. Of course, it was that very last scene, that last moment of Gi-hun. I had been on a very strict diet for about 14 months leading up to that point. Especially for the last two months, I was on an extremely harsh diet compared to before we shot the series. I had lost about 10 kilograms from my regular weight. I really wanted to make sure that not only did I express Gi-hun's emotions, but I also wanted the audience to know just how completely dry and depleted he was just by looking at him. I also remember we had to shoot that last moment for a very long time. It took a lot longer than you might expect on that filming day. That was the only scene we were able to shoot, so it was extremely important and also very challenging. Thinking about the 'Squid Game' storyline, I would like to see Gi-hun's daughter dismantle the entire system. But on a personal note, I hope she doesn't learn anything about the truth of it all. I hope she doesn't know anything about her dad. I just wish she would live a very happy and stable life with her stepdad and mom. This interview was conducted through an interpreter and has been edited and condensed for clarity. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Irish Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Squid Game review: A rewarding third season filled with thrills, spills and a gripping final twist
Netflix has wrapped its tentacles around Squid Game and is refusing to let go. Following the conclusion of Hwang Dong-hyuk's brutal story of a sadistic survival contest on a mysterious island off the coast of Korea, there is speculation Social Network/Fight Club director David Fincher is to oversee a US adaptation of the franchise. That Squid Game is about to go international seems to be hinted at in the final episode of the show's third and concluding season (Netflix) when a Hollywood star turns up playing a western version of 'The Recruiter', who tempts the financially desperate to risk life, limb and sanity in the games. But Hwang has denied his series explicitly sets up a US spin-off. The Recruiter cameo (more about anon) is there to make the more serious point about how power structures can be pulled apart but always rise up again. 'I wanted to leave it on a note highlighting the fact that these systems, even if one comes down, it's not easy to dismantle the whole system – it will always repeat itself,' he told the Hollywood Reporter. 'That's why I wanted to end it with an American recruiter. And I wrote that scene wanting an impactful ending for the show, not in order to open rooms for anything else.' Impactful the end of Squid Game certainly is. It is also a marked improvement on the underwhelming second series . As the action resumes, Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae) has been forced to continue in the games despite leading a failed rebellion against the all-powerful Frontman (Lee Byung-hun). This year's challenges are every bit as dastardly as in earlier seasons – including a devious challenge where the remaining contestants are divided into two teams, and one is instructed to kill the other. READ MORE [ What is Squid Game, Netflix's ultraviolent breakout hit show? Opens in new window ] Out in the real world, meanwhile, Frontman's brother Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) proceeds in his search for the mysterious island where the games are taking place. Then there is North Korean defector Kang No-eul (aka 011). She is trying to take down the games from the inside and rescue the newborn child of Jun-hee (her way of dealing with her trauma over her daughter's disappearance). It's grippingly dark stuff. Hwang, to his credit, pulls off a rewardingly paradoxical finale by killing off a major character and giving several other protagonists redemptive endings. And then, at the end, there is that cameo, with Lady Galadriel herself, Cate Blanchett, playing the American Recruiter. It is a final twist at the end of a show packed tight with thrills, spills and gory demises. But of course, the one death that is not permitted is of Squid Game itself, which Netflix, via Fincher, is determined to keep alive at any cost.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Already watched Squid Game 3 and want more? Here are 5 Netflix shows to get your heart racing
The curtains have officially closed on one of the most intense thrillers in recent memory. The final chapter of Squid Game, the gripping South Korean survival drama crafted by creator-director Hwang Dong-hyuk, recently aired, marking the end of a cultural phenomenon. Over the span of three seasons, viewers witnessed the turbulent and haunting journey of Player 456, also known as Seong Gi-hun, as he and his fellow participants were thrust into a brutal competition. What initially seemed like nostalgic childhood games took a horrifying turn as each challenge brought deadly consequences, all in pursuit of a fortune that could change their lives forever. As the naive and good-natured Gi-hun, portrayed masterfully by Lee Jung-jae, evolved into a hardened man with a mission to dismantle the twisted operation behind the game, audiences became deeply invested. Now that the final episode has aired and the game has reached its ultimate conclusion, many fans find themselves searching for a new series that delivers the same mix of adrenaline, suspense, and emotional weight. Below is a selection of shows that echo the chilling intensity, social commentary, and life-or-death stakes that defined Squid Game. Alice in Borderland—Japan's Dystopian Survival Game For those captivated by the concept of ordinary individuals being forced into deadly contests, Alice in Borderland is a natural successor. Based on the manga by Haro Aso, this Japanese sci-fi thriller centers on Arisu, a reclusive gamer played by Kento Yamazaki, who finds himself suddenly transported to a desolate version of Tokyo. In this strange alternate reality, he must outwit and outlast a series of perilous games, each symbolized by playing cards that determine their complexity and genre. Players must participate to extend their survival 'visas.' If their visas expire, they are instantly executed by deadly laser beams descending from the skies. The suspense, moral dilemmas, and unpredictable game mechanics make Alice in Borderland a must-watch for fans of strategic, life-threatening challenges. All Of Us Are Dead – Zombie Terror in a High School Another South Korean hit that shares Squid Game's mix of youthful characters and deadly stakes is All Of Us Are Dead. Set in the fictional city of Hyosan, the series follows a group of high school students as they battle to survive a horrific zombie outbreak. Adapted from Joo Dong-geun's popular webtoon, this coming-of-age horror show showcases how quickly innocence can be shattered when survival becomes the only goal. With its intense setting, raw emotional arcs, and claustrophobic tension, All Of Us Are Dead reflects a similar desperation and fight-for-life atmosphere as seen in Squid Game. Black Mirror—A Glimpse into Dark Futures Although it doesn't feature literal games, Black Mirror offers a haunting critique of modern society through standalone episodes exploring technology, power, and human fragility. Each story dives into dystopian or near-future settings, often revealing how societal systems can be just as cruel as the Squid Game's masterminds. From AI companions to social credit scores, the Emmy-winning anthology series challenges viewers to reflect on morality and control. Notably, it has revived interest in the anthology format and inspired discourse about the dangers of unchecked innovation. The 8 Show – Greed Meets Isolation In The 8 Show, eight individuals agree to live under one roof while being filmed in an isolated, resource-deprived environment. Adapted from the webtoons Money Game and Pie Game by Bae Jin-soo, and directed by Han Jae-rim, the series explores how desperation and greed can corrupt humanity. The contestants are pushed to their limits—emotionally and physically—with the game's rules ending only when someone dies. This black comedy-thriller blends satire with intense drama, offering a thought-provoking take on class, survival, and human nature. 3% – The Fight for a Better Future 3% hails from Brazil and is set in a dystopian world where only a fraction of the population is granted access to a privileged utopia known as 'Offshore.' Every year, 20-year-olds from the impoverished 'Inland' undergo a rigorous series of tests called 'The Process.' Only the top 3% succeed. For the rest, failure can mean death. Created by Pedro Aguilera, 3% dives into themes of inequality, choice, and systemic injustice—echoing many of the core messages of Squid Game, but with a fresh cultural perspective. These series offer diverse yet thematically similar experiences, perfect for those who still feel the echoes of Squid Game's final moments and long for stories where survival is a game with consequences far beyond the arena.
