Brace yourselves: Squid Game is officially returning to Netflix for a second season.
The first series of the brutal dystopian drama, created by South Korean writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk, follows a group of desperate, cash-strapped competitors go head to head in a series of childhood games.
The aim is to win the prize and pay off their debts, but in every round, unsuccessful contestants are killed off; operating in the background are a string of shady (often English-speaking) villains who seem to be pulling the strings.
The high-stakes, high-concept drama became a word-of-mouth hit upon its release in September, quickly surpassing period drama Bridgerton to become the streaming platform’s most-watched series. It was also a critical success, earning SAG Awards for its stars Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon earlier this year.
Red light… GREENLIGHT!
— Netflix (@netflix) June 12, 2022
Squid Game is officially coming back for Season 2! pic.twitter.com/4usO2Zld39
In a message to fans shared on Twitter last night, Hwang thanked fans for their support and confirmed that a second series is in the works - before dropping some hints as to what we can expect from round two.
“It took 12 years to bring the first season of Squid Game to life last year,” he said. “But it took 12 days for Squid Game to become the most popular Netflix series ever.
“As the writer, director and producer of Squid Game, a huge shout out to fans around the world. Thank you for watching and loving our show.”
He went on to reveal that the show’s protagonist Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) would return, along with the Front Man, the leader of the creepy Masked Men who oversee the Squid Game, while the mysterious “man in the suit with the ddakji might be back” too.
The new episodes will also introduce Cheol-su, the “boyfriend” of Young-hee, the gigantic animatronic doll who features in Squid Game’s opening episode, leading the contestants in a game of Red Light, Green Light (a Korean equivalent to What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?) - and shooting them when they fail. A 10-second teaser showing a similar doll opening its eyes accompanied Hwang’s statement on Twitter.
An official date for the project is yet to be confirmed, although Hwang has previously touted a late 2023 or 2024 release when discussing the possibility of another season.
Hwang started writing Squid Game in 2008, but struggled to generate interest in the project and shelved it for almost a decade before pitching it to Netflix.
He is also working on a new film called Killing Old People Club, based on a novel by the Italian writer Umberto Eco.
