"Squid Game" diehards will no doubt rejoice when the South Korean dystopian drama returns for its much-anticipated second season on Netflix on Thursday, Dec. 26 — given the mind-boggling success of the series' first season, it's clear that viewers can't get enough of the deadly competition or its players. (There will be even more of them this time around — get to know season 2's new characters.)
But, ironically, "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk might not share that same enthusiasm about the show's return.
In a recent interview with Variety, Hwang — who earned an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2022, making him the first South Korean to win in that category, and is back as director and executive producer of the survival drama's second season — discussed how "challenging" it was making the show.
“I had no intention of doing a second season, because the overall process of writing, producing and directing the series was so challenging. I didn’t think to do another one,” Hwang told the outlet.
He added that he only continued with the second season as well as the third because of the "immense success" of its predecessor. The director previously revealed to Variety that he lost eight to nine teeth during production of the first season due to stress.
So it's not much of a shock that, once he's completed postproduction work on "Squid Game" season 3, Hwang is ready to say goodbye to the dystopian world he created.
“I’m so exhausted. I’m so tired. In a way, I have to say, I’m so sick of ‘Squid Game,’” Hwang shared in the Variety interview. “I’m so sick of my life making something, promoting something. So I’m not thinking about my next project right now. I’m just thinking about going to some remote island and having my own free time without any phone calls from Netflix.” (But "not the 'Squid Game' island," the filmmaker jokingly clarified.)
After the second season's batch of seven episodes premieres on Dec. 26, the "Squid Game" story will continue with the third and final season, coming in 2025.
“I am beyond excited to be writing this letter to announce the date for Season 2 and share the news of Season 3, the final season,” Hwang announced to fans after news of the double pick-up dropped. “The fierce clash between [Gi-hun and Front Man’s] two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year.”
As for season 2, the official synopsis reads: "Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport. Using this fortune to fund his search, Seong Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway. But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it."
Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all new information surrounding "Squid Game" season 2, including fresh plot points, character details and any insights and intel from creator Hwang Dong-hyuk.
