‘Squid Game’ spin-offs possible after series ends, says creator
Lee Jung-jae (left) with Squid Game creator-director Hwang Dong-hyuk. Photo: Netflix via The Straits Times
It may be the end of K-drama “Squid Game” when the final chapter of the global phenomenon premieres on Netflix on June 27. However, creator-director Hwang Dong-hyuk is not closing the doors on the Squid Game universe that he introduced in 2021.
While he confirms there will not be a Season 4, he suggests there is room to explore the backstories and lives of the characters he created.
“I get curious myself when I write the story. What are the characters up to during the years between the seasons?” says the filmmaker, 54. He was at a press conference held in Seoul on June 9 that was livestreamed to Singapore and Malaysia media. “I could do Squid Game spin-offs or a prequel if the opportunity allows.”
Since its debut on Netflix on Sept 17, 2021, the fictional South Korean survival series – in which contestants battle it out in gruesome games to win 45.6 billion won (S$43 million, around P1.86 billion) – remains the streamer’s most popular show to date.
When Season 2 started its run in December 2024, it broke the record for most views of a show in its premiere week and made it to Netflix’s global Most Popular Non-English TV list in just three days.
Season 2 ranks second on the list with 193 million views, second only to Season 1’s 265 million views.
Fronted by actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun, Squid Game also won several Hollywood accolades in 2021 and 2022, including six Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Picking up from Season 2’s cliffhanger, Season 3 thrusts Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), also known as Player 456, back into the brutal games after a failed rebellion. Having witnessed the death of his best friend at the hands of the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who oversees the games, Gi-hun is even more determined to take him down once and for all.
Season 3 also stars Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Yim Si-wan and Lee Jin-uk as some of the surviving contestants, while Wi Ha-jun and Park Gyu-young reprise their police and games guard characters respectively.
Calling his Squid Game journey a “miracle,” Hwang says he never expected the series would get such a reception.
“Everyone wants to have a successful career and a project, but nobody would have expected this much success from one project,” he says, adding that he particularly treasured the time spent on set with the actors and the interactions with international fans.
Lee Jung-jae, 52, says the series’ strength stems from its ability to explore universal themes about humanity, capitalism and social inequality.
He also appreciates how the show balances timeless themes with well-written individual character stories and relationships.
Hwang hinted that viewers would see more “twisted and fatal” games in Season 3, a highlight of the series. The new spins on childhood games include a deadly jump rope contest and hide-and-seek set in a maze.
Lee Byung-hun, whose role in Season 2 saw him infiltrating the game as Player 001, says closing the final chapter is bittersweet.
“I remember we started filming in May 2020. It’s been five years and I can’t remember how the years have flown by,” says the 54-year-old.
“I’m so honored to be able to show the power of South Korean content through this series,” adds the veteran actor.
Lee has starred in several Hollywood projects such as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), Red 2 (2013) and The Magnificent Seven (2016). He says he had never felt “so much passion” from fans as on Squid Game’s tours in the United States.
“I’m really grateful to have so many fans rooting for us,” he adds. /ra
