Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk reveals what audiences can expect in season 2. Conceived by Hwang over a decade ago while struggling with his own financial situation, Squid Game was eventually picked up by Netflix as the streamer looked to expand its international content. Set in South Korea, the show focuses on a group of 456 debt-ridden people who are coerced into competing in a series of deadly children’s games, all in the hope of winning an astronomical cash prize.
Released in September 2021 to overwhelming acclaim, the show cemented itself as Netflix’s top-viewed series in over 94 countries. Earning a number of awards with fourteen Emmy nominations currently pending, Squid Game season 2 was officially confirmed in June. While Hwang has so far remained tight-lipped on the plot details for season 2, Lee Jung-jae is set to return as the show’s leading protagonist Gi-hun, who turned away from a flight to reunite him with his daughter in the season finale in favor of pursuing the organizers of the eponymous Squid Game.
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Hwang provided a little more information on what Squid Game season 2 could have in store for viewers. Explaining that the new episodes will once again center on Gi-hun, Hwang said that season 2 will follow him on his new mission to prove that we are all human and possess an inherent capacity for good. Check out his full comments below:
That is the biggest challenge in season 2. He [Gi-hun] begins where we left him at the end of the first season. So, the fact that I can’t carry that level of character arc is a huge challenge. Without giving away any spoilers, there is that line that Gi-hun says in the last episode: ‘I’m not a horse and I’m curious to know who did this to us.’ It’s going to be about that journey and Gi-hun proving we are, indeed, not horses; we are all human. And the fact that we all hold goodness, the essence of humanity, at heart.
While other details surrounding Squid Game season 2 remain a mystery, Hwang’s comments support his previous assertion that story hints could be found hidden in season 1. Also confirming that an outline for season 2 was complete as of July, he indicated that Gi-hun may be thrown back into the Squid Game arena in some capacity as he promised the introduction of new games and characters. Though little is known about any fresh additions to the cast, Hwang previously said that viewers could expect Gi-hun to return alongside The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and the salesman (Gong Yoo), with the return of HoYeon Jung also teased in the form of a twin to her original character, Kang Sae-byeok.
With filming on Squid Game season 2 yet to begin, viewers could be waiting a long time for the return of Netflix’s most-watched series. While a protracted development period could frustrate some viewers, it seems unlikely that the buzz surrounding the series will diminish any time soon, particularly as Netflix feeds into fan appetites with a planned Squid Game reality show. With progress being made and a clear vision in the mind of Hwang, hopes remain that Squid Game could return to screens in the next two years.
