Squid Game season one—about a desperate man who risks everything by joining a mysterious competition where your two options are win (big) or die (horribly)—was certainly not too interested in themes of harmony. But according to Emmy-winning director, writer, and producer Hwang Dong-hyuk, season two will lean even harder into the idea of people taking sides.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Hwang explained he’s well aware that Squid Game season two will be arriving not long after an election sowed even more division among some of the show’s biggest fans (Americans, obviously), though he thinks its message is truly a global one. ““In Korea these days, we’re seeing much worse conflict between the elderly and the younger generation. And you see demarcation everywhere. There’s no room for debate, only hostility. So I was inspired by the direction the entire world is taking,” he told the trade.
He continued. “I was inspired by the sheer fact that everywhere you turn, people are drawing lines, whether it’s by generation, class, religion, ethnicity or race. I wanted to tell a story about how the different choices we make create conflicts among us and to open up a conversation about whether there is a way to move toward a direction where we can overcome these divisions.”
The interview also digs into what inspired the thrust of season two: the idea that Player 456 (Lee Jung-Jae’s Gi-hun) would return for another round after emerging victorious against all odds in season one. (Here’s the official synopsis: “Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 456 billion won.”)
Hwang explained he took a cue from another dystopian tale: “I was thinking about Gi-hun’s unfinished quest, and about the Matrix where Neo is given the option of the blue or red pill. He could have just lived happily on, but he chooses to take the pill where he becomes aware of the Matrix and struggles to get away from it.”
The THR profile is definitely worth a full read to learn more about Hwang, his background, and what he thought about the big-ticket reality shows that spawned from Squid Game, a series that explicitly cautions against greed. The piece also offers a reminder that there’s a lot more going on in Squid Game than satire and slaughter.
“I would love for it to give you food for thought, to help you ask questions,” Hwang said of his creation. “This series holds in it every emotion I think I’ve ever felt in terms of the way I view human beings and the world, all the elements of tragedy and comedy throughout life. It’s all in there.”
Along with Lee Jung-jae, the cast includes Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo, all back from season one—as well as new faces Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an.
Squid Game season two premieres December 26 on Netflix.
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