Squid Game season 2 premiers in 2024, but Netflix already has the perfect replacement for the highly popular show in a new K-drama that releases later this year. Although some of Netflix’s best K-dramas premiered before Squid Game, the show’s unprecedented success was a landmark for the platform. Other hit Netflix Korean shows include Sweet Home, Crash Landing on You, and The Glory, which highlight how plural Korean shows can be in terms of genre.
That said, any network or streaming platform would want to find the next Squid Game, and Netflix itself has some strong contenders. For example, the Japanese series Alice in Borderland premiered before Squid Game but is currently set to receive a third season. Another example is the zombie K-drama All of Us Are Dead, which was released a few months after Squid Game and also became a hit for the streamer. However, one of Netflix’s upcoming 2024 K-dramas is shaping up to be the perfect Squid Game replacement when it comes to plot.
The 8 Show Could Be Netflix’s New Squid Game
The 8 Show is an upcoming K-drama from director Han Jae-rim based on the Money Game and Pie Game webtoons by Bae Jin-soo. The series, which is set to premiere in the second quarter of 2024 on Netflix, will tell the story of eight people who enter a game show in which they will compete for a cash prize. The competition is set in an eight-store building, and the participants win more money as the game advances. While the chance of winning money playing games is tempting, playing the “8 Show” will prove to be very dangerous.
It is impossible not to think of Squid Game when discussing stories about people competing for money, but it must be noted that the webtoon The 8 Show is based on was first published in 2018. Regardless, Squid Game already proved that exploring social dynamics and the layers of capitalism in a story about survival and greed can make for a great TV show, which is why The 8 Show is so promising. Even though Squid Game returns in 2024, audiences will surely be interested in a new K-drama exploring similar themes.
Will Any Netflix Show Ever Match Squid Game’s Pop Culture Impact?
It is unlikely that any TV shows, whether they are K-dramas, American series, or productions from other countries, will ever match the impact of Squid Game’s first season. It is not even certain that Squid Game season 2 will recapture the magic of the show’s debut. From Halloween costumes to viral YouTube videos, Squid Game was a massive pop culture hit that arguably played a role in the amount of original Korean shows produced or distributed by Netflix. This doesn’t mean, however, that other shows with similar premises can’t be as good or even better than Squid Game.
All Squid Game Games In Order: Origins & Meaning Explained
Squid Game centers around a series of innocent childhood games turned dark. Here’s the origin of each game in order, and their deeper meanings.
Director Han Jae-rim, who is helming his first Netflix show with The 8 Show, is an established filmmaker behind movies such as Face Reader and Emergency Declaration. The source material behind the series received good reviews, and the cast is very promising. The 8 Show cast is led by Ryu Jun-yeol, most known from the widely praised Reply 1988 K-drama, and also includes Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min, and more. Not much has been revealed about The 8 Show so far, but the first clip and the official images suggest it could be a spiritual successor to Squid Game.
Watch Squid Game on Netflix
Squid Game
- Release Date
- September 17, 2021
- Cast
- Wi Ha-joon , Anupam Tripathi , Oh Yeong-su , Heo Sung-tae , Park Hae-soo , Jung Ho-yeon , Lee Jung-jae , Kim Joo-ryoung
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Directors
- Hwang Dong-hyuk
