Latest news with #SquidGame2
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Squid Game' Season 3 Trailer: Lee Jung-jae Seeks to Destroy the Competition Once and For All
The highly-anticipated third season of 'Squid Game' has almost commenced — and the competition is more fierce than ever. Lee Jung-jae reprises his lead role for Season 3, which takes place three years after the events of the first 'Squid Game.' Now, Gi-hun (Lee) is determined to destroy the games for good and has spent his prize money only to support his cause. After Gi-hun convinced his fellow players to overpower the Squid Game guards during the Season 2 finale, Gi-hun is back confronting the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) as Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) looks for the island. More from IndieWire Sheryl Lee Ralph Remembers Sidney Poitier's Early Support: 'I Expect Great Things from You' 'Squid Game' Creator Teases Potential Spinoff: 'I Want to Show What They Did' Between Seasons 1 and 2 'Squid Game 2' premiered in December 2024 and debuted to 68 million views in its first week. Netflix announced at the time that it was a record for the streamer and beat out the previous one set by 'Wednesday' in 2022, which managed only 50.1 million views. 'Squid Game' Season 2 was seven episodes and ended on a cliffhanger. The season also introduced a new characters such as Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim), Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), and the games' guard No-eul (Park Gyu-young). Hwang Dong-hyuk is the creator and showrunner of 'Squid Game.' IndieWire's review for Season 2 cited how the continuation felt like 'the standard sequel to a Hollywood blockbuster' thanks in part to the 'bigger, bolder style that tends to come with extra resources.' Critic Ben Travers wrote, 'Season 2 is more like half-a-season, complete with a cliffhanger ending. For anyone satisfied with the first competition, the seven new episodes are still likely to provide enough visceral entertainment or vicarious thrills to merit a return trip. Season 2 continues to capitalize on a premise that's instinctively absorbing — who will win and who will lose, who will play with honor and who will debase themselves, who will we identify with and who will we vilify. The slightly trickier questions — the ones that last a little longer than the length of each game — are when and why: When does a character cross a line? Why do they cross it? And can we empathize with their justifications for doing so?' Season 3 will be the final season for 'Squid Game,' but the franchise could continue with David Fincher being rumored to direct an English-language spinoff for Netflix. 'Squid Game' Season 3 premieres June 27 on Netflix. Check out the trailer below. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Pink Villa
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Squid Game 2 star T.O.P admits 'failure' and past mistakes, says he found 'common ground' with Thanos role
It takes great courage for one to face a past that causes one pain, however, Squid Game 2 fame T.O.P chose to do the hard deed. He let his honest emotions out there while he addressed his on-screen character, Thanos' flaws. In a recent interview, he opened up about how he resonated with Thanos on a personal level and how playing the role gave him an opportunity to reflect on his previous undesirable actions, as reported by media outlet Variety. About Squid Game 2 character Thanos Thanos (Player 230), was once a successful rapper who lost his fame and career as a whole to controversies. He then resorted to cryptocurrency, but became a victim of a scam, lost every last penny he had, finally resorting to d*ugs. Many viewers saw Thanos as an antagonist because during his entire time in the show, he threatened to kill another player, a YouTuber who advised people regarding the cryptocurrency investment. However, T.O.P argued, 'I don't think Thanos is a villain, but he is a man-child." T.O.P talks about his similarities with Thanos Choi Seung Hyun, better known as T.O.P mentioned the characteristics of the Squid Game 2 's popular character, Thanos. In the process, the former BIGBANG member also talked of which aspects of the fictional rapper felt like it mirrored real life T.O.P. He said that he could relate to Thanos because they've both been through tough phases in their career and lives. He mentioned having "some common ground as a rapper" with the character. The artist particularly mentioned earning second place in a competition and struggling with addiction. T.O.P was convicted of use of m*rijuana and had to depart from BIGBANG following the intense public backlash he faced. He further explained, 'While you might think of me as a successful rapper, I also had my failures, so I had to come face-to-face with my past mistakes when I was looking at Thanos." Due to his similarities with the character he portrayed in Squid Game 2, it took a lot of guts for him to finally say yes to the project. He thanked Director Hwang as he "put so much trust" in him and made him want to take on the role.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Squid Game 2' Cast on Connecting With Fans and Relating to Their Characters: ‘Thanos Isn't A Villain, But He Is A Man-Child'
'Squid Game' creator, director and writer Hwang Dong-hyuk joined production designer Chae Kyoung-sun, editor Nam Na-yeong and director of photography Kim Ji-yong and members of the 'Squid Game 2' cast (Lee Jung-jae, Kang Ae-shim, Park Sung-hoon, Lee Byung-hun and Choi Seung-hyun) for a panel and screening on Friday night that was part of Netflix's FYSEE LA series. When it came to choosing which seemingly-innocent schoolyard games would become death traps in the second installment of his dystopian black comedy, Hwang says he looked for challenges that would force players to vote en masse. More from Variety Pablo Larraín to Direct Netflix Domestic Horror Miniseries 'My Sad Dead,' From Fabula and 'The Eternaut's' K&S Films (EXCLUSIVE) 'Lincoln Lawyer' Season 4 Casts Cobie Smulders (EXCLUSIVE) 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 Sets October Release Date on Netflix 'An important theme I wanted to explore in the second season was the notion of elections,' said Hwang. 'So many free democratic countries around the world are choosing their leaders, and therefore their futures, through the act of casting a vote.' 'Elections exist to provide the right direction for society to head in, but as we all see, it's actually leading people to even further division and hostility – almost the opposite way of what it was originally intended to do. I really wanted to poke at the theme of majority rule in elections within the liberal democratic world, and pose the question: can [democracy] truly bring us down the right path? Is it capable of allowing us to choose the right leaders?' For Park Sung-hoon, who plays Cho Hyun-ju (a special forces agent ostracized by her peers when she came out as a transgender woman) joining the cast of 'Squid Game 2' allowed him to form a deeper bond with an understanding of the LGBTQ+. community. '[The fans] have given me so much support and love despite me being a cisgender actor playing a transgender character,' said Sung-hoon. 'I think the world is becoming a better place for the LGBTQ+ community, but prejudices and biases still exist, and Geum-ja is a character who represents that kind of attitude towards the community.' 'But later on in the show, Geum-ja warms up to her, she embraces her as one of her friends and family. I hope the viewers feel the same way about Hyun-ju, warming up to her as family. In season three, we go through a lot together, so we develop an even stronger bond.' Sung-hoon wasn't the only newcomer impacted by the show's writing – Choi Seung-hyun, (a rapper and former member of the K-pop group BIGBANG) says understanding the psychology of his character Thanos helped him reflect on his own past. 'Thanos and I have some common ground, as a rapper who went out second in a competition show and had drug issues,' Seung-hyun explained. 'While you might think of me as a successful rapper, I also had my failures, so I had to come face-to-face with my past mistakes when I was looking at Thanos. It took a lot of courage for me to take on this role, but Director Hwang put so much trust in me. 'I don't think Thanos is a villain, but he is a man-child,' Seung-hyun continued. 'Playing this character, it was an opportunity for me to self-reflect on my past and think about what I've done wrong. Through 'Squid Game,' and Thanos, I feel like I'm ready to move on to a new chapter of my life. I learned so much from him.' The day after the FYC event, the 'Squid Game' stars walked the red carpet, where Lee Jung-jae told Variety he still wants to see Leonardo DiCaprio on the show. Watch the video below to hear what he had to say. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
UPI
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
In photos: 'Squid Game' Season 2 stars attend Netflix's FYSEE LA Fest
Lee Jung-jae attends Netflix's "Squid Game 2" FYSEE LA Fest at the Egyptian Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on May 30, 2025. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Pink Villa
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Has Squid Game's Thanos aka T.O.P finally decided to 'move on' from past controversy?: 'Made mistakes in...'
Squid Game 2's T.O.P has long been away from the entertainment industry due to his past controversy regarding the use of m*rijuana. He is now back in the spotlight due to his role as Thanos in the hit survival drama Squid Game season 2. With his renewed fame, T.O.P decided to tackle his past head-on. During a May 29 interview, he openly addressed the issues that led to his departure from BIGBANG in 2023. T.O.P's rides on Squid Game 2 success Choi Seung Hyun, better known as ex-BIGBANG's T.O.P, staged a remarkable comeback with the Lee Jung Jae-starrer Squid Game 2, and has been basking in the spotlight of his renewed success. The drama, released on December 26, continues to generate buzz, and its cast members are enjoying a surge in popularity, particularly with the third installment set to drop soon. T.O.P's activities have also increased, thanks to his Squid Game 2 role. He played the morally ambiguous Thanos (Player 230), a washed-up rapper who lost everything to a cryptocurrency scam and resorted to d*ugs. T.O.P addresses past controversy During the interview, the actor revealed a personal connection to Thanos, as by playing the character, he was forced to confront past "mistakes". He mentioned requiring immense courage to portray a d*ug-addicted character on screen. However, with Director Hwang's trust and support, T.O.P gained the confidence to take up the role. Noting his experience, he said, "While creating this character Thanos, I could self-reflect about my past and I think I can finally move on to a new chapter of my life, so I learned a lot from this character." T.O.P's honest statements showcased his vulnerability and growth, highlighting the impact of his craft on his personal journey. He also received a lot of supporting comments from fans, who took to social media to share the clip. They made remarks like, "The fact that he's addressing it in a space such as this, in front of fans, really shows he's ready and wanting to move on and I'm so so proud of him." Next up, the actor-singer will be seen attending the promotional activities of season 3 of Squid Game in Los Angeles in late May.
