This article is about the Netflix television series. For the Netflix reality competition show, seeSquid Game: The Challenge. For the Korean children's game, seeSquid (game).
Squid Game (Korean: 오징어 게임;RR: Ojingeo geim, stylized asSQUID GΛME) is a South Koreandystopiansurvivalthrillerdrama television series created, written, and directed byHwang Dong-hyuk forNetflix. The series revolves around a secret contest where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial hardship, risk their lives to play a series of children's games that result in death if eliminated, for the chance to win a₩45.6billion (US$39.86 million) prize. The series' title draws fromojingeo ("squid"), a Korean children's game.Lee Jung-jae, who portrays series protagonistSeong Gi-hun, leads anensemble cast.
Hwang conceived the idea based on his own economic struggles, as well as theclass disparity in South Korea andcapitalism.[8][9] Although he wrote the story in 2009, Hwang could not find a production company to fund the idea until Netflix took an interest around 2019 as part of a drive to expand their foreign programming offerings.
In South Korea,Seong Gi-hun, a divorced father and indebtedgambling addict who lives with his elderly mother, is invited to play a series of children's games for a chance at a large cash prize. Accepting the offer, he is taken to an unknown location where he finds himself among 455 other players who are all in deep financial trouble. The players are made to wear greentracksuits and are kept under watch at all times by masked guards in pink jumpsuits, with the games overseen by theFront Man, who wears a black mask and black uniform. The players soon discover that losing a game results in their deaths, with each death contributing₩100 million (US$87,400) to the potential₩45.6 billion (US$39.86 million) grand prize.[a][b] Gi-hun allies with other players, including his childhood friendCho Sang-woo andNorth Korean defectorKang Sae-byeok, to try to survive the games' physical and psychological twists, while detectiveHwang Jun-ho infiltrates the games as one of the guards to find his missing brother.[11][12]
In thesecond season, Gi-hun, who had vowed revenge three years after winning the game, participates in it again to take revenge on the Front Man and end the game for good, and is joined by police detective Jun-ho, the Front Man's brother. After assuming full control of the game following the creator Il-nam's death, the Front Man attempts to make Gi-hun see that there is no way he can end the games due to the true nature of people.[13] Gi-hun will start to play the next Squid Game. Gi-hun allies with other players, including his best friendPark Jung-bae and a pregnant girlKim Jun-hee, to try to survive the games' physical and psychological twists, while detectiveHwang Jun-ho andChoi Woo-seok must find the Island whileKang No-eul begin to work as a Squid Game Guard.
In thethird and final season, Gi-hun and the players fight for survival in ever-deadlier games, which have dire consequences. In-ho welcomes theVIPs while his brother Jun-ho continues the search for the island, unaware of a traitor in their midst.
Lee Jung-jae asSeong Gi-hun (성기훈,[sʌŋɡihun]ⓘ)[14] (456), a divorced chauffeur and gambling addict. He lives with his mother and struggles to support his daughter financially. He participates in the game to settle his many debts, and to prove himself financially stable enough to have custody of his daughter, who is to leave for the United States with her mother and stepfather. After winning the games, he sets out to end the games and the Front Man.
Lee Byung-hun asHwang In-ho (황인호,[hwaŋdʑinho]ⓘ) (001), the Front Man, the game overseer and the winner of the game in the 2015 edition, who after his participation does not believe that there are truly good people. He disguises himself as Player 001 under the guise of Oh Young-il for the majority of season 2 before donning the Front Man alias once again.[15]
Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho (황준호,[hwaŋdʑunho]ⓘ),[16] a police detective who sneaks into the game disguised as a guard, to find his missing brother and discovers that his brother is the Front Man, the organizer of the Games himself.
Park Hae-soo asCho Sang-woo (조상우;[tɕosaŋu][c])[14] (218), the former head of an investment team at a securities company. He was a junior classmate to Gi-hun, and studied atSeoul National University. He joins the game to escape the police, who want him for stealing money from his clients and racking up massive debts from bad investments. (season 1; guest, season 2)
O Yeong-su as Oh Il-nam (오일남,Korean pronunciation:[oiɭɭam])[19] (001), an elderly man with a brain tumor who prefers playing the game as opposed to waiting to die in the outside world and who is later revealed to be the game's creator. (season 1)
Heo Sung-tae as Jang Deok-su (장덕수,Korean pronunciation:[tɕaŋdʌks͈u])[20] (101), a gangster who enters the game to settle his massive gambling debts, including money he stole from his boss and underlings. (season 1)
Lee Yoo-mi asJi-yeong (지영;[tɕi.jʌŋ]) (240), a young woman who befriends Sae-byeok and previously served prison time for killing her abusive father (season 1)
Lee Seo-hwan as Park Jung-bae (박정배) (390),[13] a very good friend of Gi-hun who runs a bar and later enters the Squid Game. (season 2; guest, season 1)
Yim Si-wan as Lee Myung-gi (이명기)[22][13] (333), a formerYouTuber who lost money as a result of acrypto scam he was involved with. He is Jun-hee's ex-boyfriend.
Lee Jin-wook as Park Gyeong-seok (박경석)[23][13] (246), an amusement park artist who joins the game to get money to treat his daughter'sblood cancer.
Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik (박용식)[22][13] (007), a repentant gambler and the son of Geum-ja.
Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hee (김준희)[23][13] (222), Myung-gi's pregnant ex-girlfriend who lost her money buying Myung-gi's crypto and is looking for a way to make a living.
Kang Ae-shim as Jang Geum-ja (장금자)[23][13] (149), Yong-sik's mother who enters the game to help pay off her son's debts.
Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul (강노을) (Guard 011),[23][13] a former soldier andNorth Korean defector who works for the game as a guard, tasked with defending the game and killing eliminated players, to find her daughter who remains in North Korea.[24]
Lee David as Park Min-su (박민수) (125), a silent and timid man who has trouble speaking his mind.[23][13]
Choi Seung-hyun asChoi Su-bong / "Thanos" (최수봉) (230), an arrogant, cocky rapper andecstasy addict who targets Myung-gi throughout the course of the game because he was the victim of one of his crypto scams.[23][13] (season 2, guest season 3)
Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu (남규) (124), a club promoter and another victim of Myung-gi's crypto scam. He acts as Thanos' right-hand man and joins him in tormenting other players, especially Myung-gi and Min-su.[23][13]
Won Ji-an as Se-mi (세미) (380), a tomboyish young woman who befriends Min-su[23][13] (season 2, guest season 3)
Song Young-chang as Im Jeong-dae (임정대) (100), a senior who enters the games to pay off massive debts he has[26]
Oh Dal-su as Sea Captain Park, a sailor who assists Jun-ho and later Gi-hun's loan sharks in attempting to find the location of the games and take down the superiors.[31][32]
Around 2008,Hwang Dong-hyuk tried unsuccessfully to get investment for a different movie script that he had written, and he, his mother, and his grandmother had to take out loans to stay afloat, but still struggled amid thedebt crisis within the country.[9][38][f] He spent his free time in amanhwabang (South Korean comic cafe) reading Japanese survivalmanga such asBattle Royale,Liar GameandGambling Apocalypse: Kaiji.[40][41][8][42] Hwang compared the characters' situation in these works to his own current situation and considered the idea of being able to join such a survival game to win money to get him out of debt, leading him to write a film script on that concept throughout 2009.[42] Hwang stated, "I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society, something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life. But I wanted it to use the kind of characters we've all met in real life."[43] Hwang feared the storyline was "too difficult to understand and bizarre" at the time.[40] Hwang tried to sell his story to various South Korean production groups and actors, but had been told it was too grotesque and unrealistic.[44] Hwang put this script aside and over the next ten years successfully completed three other films. including thecrime drama filmSilenced (2011) and thehistorical drama filmThe Fortress (2017).[42]
In the 2010s,Netflix had seen a large growth in viewership outside of North America, and started investing in productions in other regions, including South Korea.[45] In 2018,Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, stated that they were looking for more successes from overseas productions: "The exciting thing for me would be if the nextStranger Things came from outside America. Right now, historically, nothing of that scale has ever come from anywhere but Hollywood."[46] Netflix had opened up a division in Asia in 2018, and while they were still operating out of temporary leased office space in Seoul, Hwang brought his script to their attention. Kim Minyoung, one of Netflix's content officers for the Asian regions, recognized Hwang's talent fromThe Fortress and his other films, and upon seeing his script forSquid Game, knew they needed it for the service. Kim said "[W]e were looking for shows that were different from what's traditionally 'made it,' and Squid Game was exactly it".[47] In September 2019 Netflix formally announced that they would produce Hwang's work as an original series.[44][48] Netflix's Bela Bajaria, head of global television operations, said of their interest in Hwang's work that "we knew it was going to be big in Korea because it had a well-regarded director with a bold vision", and that "K-Dramas also travel well across Asia".[45] Regarding his return to the project, Hwang commented, "It's a sad story. But the reason why I returned to the project is because the world 10 years from then has transformed to a place where these unbelievable survival stories are so fitting, and I found that this is the time when people will call these stories intriguing and realistic."[40] Hwang further believed that theCOVID-19 pandemic impacted the economic disparity between classes in South Korea, and said that "All of these points made the story very realistic for people compared to a decade ago".[44]
With the Netflix order, the film concept was expanded out to a nine-episode series. Kim stated that there was "so much more than what was written in the 120-minute format. So we worked together to turn it into a series."[47] Hwang said he was able to expand the script so that it "could focus on the relationships between people [and] the stories that each of the people had".[49] Initially, Netflix had named the seriesRound Six, rather thanSquid Game as Hwang had suggested; according to Netflix's vice president for content in Asia Kim Minyoung, while they knew that the name "squid game" would be familiar to Korean viewers from the children's game, it "wouldn't resonate because not many people would get it", and opted to useRound Six (stylized asRound 6) as it self-described the nature of the competition. It has been titled as such in Brazil (possibly while also avoiding any political connotation to do withLula). As production continued, Hwang pushed on the service to useSquid Game instead; its cryptic name and unique visuals helped to draw in curious viewers, according to Kim.[48][50] At the time that Hwang wrote the series, his goal was to have the series reach the most-watched show in Netflix in the United States for at least one day.[9] Hwang had initially written the series as eight episodes, which was comparable to other Netflix shows, but found that the material for the last episode was longer than he planned, so it was split into two.[51]
In late October 2021, Hwang stated he was in discussions with Netflix regarding a second season.[9] He further stated in December 2021 that he was also discussing a third season with Netflix.[52] Hwang wanted to produce another film first, as well as secure a contract with Netflix to release additional films he may create alongside furtherSquid Game seasons, so as to avoid becoming known only forSquid Game.[9] Hwang confirmed that he had begun conceptualization work on a second season during a press event in November 2021, with plans to bring backLee Jung-jae to reprise his role of Gi-hun.[53] Netflix stated in response to Hwang's comments that they had not yet officially greenlit a second season, but were in discussions with Hwang towards one.[54] During an earnings call in January 2022, Netflix's Sarandos said when asked about a second season "Absolutely...theSquid Game universe has just begun."[55][56][57] Hwang said in April 2022 that he presently was working onKilling Old People Club, an adaption of a work called "Pape Satan Aleppe: Chronicles of a Liquid Society" byUmberto Eco (미친 세상을 이해하는 척하는 방법; "The way to pretend to understand the crazy world"), and anticipated that the second season ofSquid Game would be completed and broadcast by 2024.[58] Netflix confirmed that the second season was greenlit in June 2022.[59][60] It was released on December 26, 2024.[61]
On the day the second season was released, Hwang confirmed that the series would return for a third and final season in 2025.[62] The season was released on June 27, 2025.[63]
Hwang described the work as "a story about losers".[64] The names of the characters –Seong Gi-hun,Cho Sang-woo, and Oh Il-nam – were all based on Hwang's childhood friends, as well as the character name Hwang Jun-ho, who was also a childhood friend in real life with an older brother named Hwang In-ho.[42] The two main characters Gi-hun and Sang-woo were based on Hwang's own personal experiences and represented "two sides" of himself; Gi-hun shared the same aspects of being raised by an economically disadvantaged single mother in theSsangmun district of Seoul, while Sang-woo reflected on Hwang having attendedSeoul National University with high expectations from his family and neighborhood.[42][64] Further, Gi-hun's background was inspired by the organizers of theSsangYong Motor labor strike of 2009 against mass layoffs.[65]
Shapes punched intodalgona, a Korean sugar candy treat, based on the shapes used in the second game of the show. Within the show, players had to extract the inner shapes intact.
Hwang based the narrative onKorean games of his childhood to show the irony of a childhood game where competition was not important becoming an extreme competition with people's lives at stake.[41] Additionally, as his initial script was intended for film, he opted to use children's games with simple rules that were easy to explain in contrast to other survival-type films using games with complex rules.[49] The central game he selected, thesquid game, was a popular Korean children's game from the 1970s and 1980s.[48][66] Hwang recalled the squid game as "the most physically aggressive childhood game I played in neighborhood alleys as a kid, which is why I also loved it the most", and because of this "it's the most symbolic game that reflects today's competitive society, so I picked it out as the show's title".[67] The colors of theddakji in the initial game, which are blue and red, were inspired from the Japanese urban legendRed Paper, Blue Paper.[68][g] The gameRed Light, Green Light was selected because of its potential to make a lot of losers in one go. Regarding the selection, Hwang said, "The game was selected because the scene filled with so many people randomly moving and stopping could be viewed as a ridiculous but a sad group dance."[41] Hwang joked that thedalgona candy game they chose may influence sales of dalgona, similar to how sales of Koreangats (traditional hats) bloomed after the broadcast of Netflix's seriesKingdom.[69] Licking the candy to free the shape was something that Hwang said that he had done as a child and brought it into the script.[67] Hwang had considered other Korean children's games such asGonggi,Dong, Dong, Dongdaemun, andWhy did you come to my house? (우리 집에 왜 왔니?, a Korean variant of the Hana Ichi Monme).[41]
Hwang wrote all of the series himself, taking nearly six months to write the first two episodes alone, after which he turned to friends to get input on moving forward.[43] Hwang also addressed the challenges of preparing for the show which was physically and mentally exhausting, saying that he had forgone dental health while making Season 1 and had to have six teeth pulled by his dentist after production was complete.[40][51] As such, Hwang was initially unsure about a sequel after completing these episodes,[43] though he wrote the ending to keep a potential hook for a sequel in mind.[9] Hwang had considered an alternate ending where Gi-hun would have boarded the plane after concluding his call with the game organizers to see his daughter, but Hwang said of that ending, "Is that the right way for us to really propose the question or the message that we wanted to convey through the series?"[70]
Due to the stress of writing and producing the first series of nine episodes himself, Hwang initially had no immediate plans to write a second season toSquid Game. He did not have well-developed plans for a follow-up story and said that if he were to write one, he would likely need a staff of writers and directors to help him.[43] With the immense popularity of the show, Hwang later opined about the possibility of a second season, tellingCNN, "There's nothing confirmed at the moment, but so many people are enthusiastic that I'm really contemplating it."[64] Hwang said in an interview withThe Times that a second season may focus more on the story of the Front Man as well as incorporating more about the police. Hwang said, "I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea. I see it on the global news that the police force can be very late in acting on things—there are more victims or a situation gets worse because of them not acting fast enough. This was an issue that I wanted to raise."[71] He added he also wanted to explore the relationship between the cryptic Front Man and his policeman brother Hwang Jun-ho, as well as the background of the recruiter character (portrayed byGong Yoo).[72]
Hwang originally envisioned the second and third seasons as one, but split them up because he had too many episodes for one season.[73] According to Hwang, after the end of the second season, Gi-hun would be a changed man "at a very critical crossroads".[74] The season will also reveal how Hwang In-ho became the Front Man.[75] Cheol-su, Young-hee's giant robot doll boyfriend, was introduced at the end of the second season and appeared in the third season alongside a new game.[76]
Director Hwang requested that actorsGong Yoo (left) andLee Byung-hun (right), with whom he had previously worked, appear asthe Recruiter and the Front Man, respectively, inSquid Game.
Hwang said he chose to castLee Jung-jae as Gi-hun as to "destroy his charismatic image portrayed in his previous roles".[77]HoYeon Jung was requested by her new management company to send a video to audition for the series while she was finishing a shoot in Mexico and preparing for New York Fashion Week. Although this was her first audition as an actor and her expectations were low, Hwang said, "The moment I saw her audition tape from New York, I immediately thought to myself, 'this is the girl we want.' My first impression of her was that she is wild and free like an untamed horse".[78][79][80] On castingAnupam Tripathi as Ali Abdul, Hwang said, "It was hard to find good foreign actors in Korea." He chose Anupam Tripathi because of his emotional acting capabilities and fluency in Korean.[81] BothGong Yoo andLee Byung Hun had worked with Hwang during his previous films,Silenced andThe Fortress respectively, and Hwang had asked both to appear in small roles withinSquid Game.[78][unreliable source?] The VIPs were selected from non-Korean actors living in Asia; in the case ofGeoffrey Giuliano, who played the VIP that interacted with Jun-ho, his prior role fromTrain to Busan Presents: Peninsula led to his casting forSquid Game.[82]
Casting for the series was confirmed on June 17, 2020.[83]
In April 2022, Hwang confirmed that the characters of Gi-hun and the Front Man will return for the second season.[84][59] Hwang said that he would like to bring back some of the dead characters, such as Ji-yeong, and expressed regret that he had killed off several beloved characters since he did not have any plans for a second season at that time.[85]
Production and filming of the series ran from June to October 2020, including a mandatory month-long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[88] City scenes were filmed inDaejeon,[89] while the island set pieces were filmed on Seongapdo located inOngjin.[90]
The shapes ofOjingo (Squid) played heavily in the graphic design of the show.
As Netflix was targeting the work for a global audience, the visuals were emphasized and some of the rules of the children's games were simplified to avoid potential issues with the language barrier.[44] The colorful sets and costumes were designed to look like a fantasy world. The players and soldiers each wear a distinctive color, to reduce the sense of individuality and emphasize the difference between the two groups.[41] The green tracksuits worn by the players were inspired by 1970s athletic wear, known astrainingbok (트레이닝복).[91] The maze-like corridors and stairs drew inspiration from the 4-dimensional stair drawings ofM. C. Escher includingRelativity. Production designer Chae Kyoung-sun said these seemingly infinite stairways represented "a form of bondage for the contestants".[92] The complex network of tunnels between the arena, the dorm, and the administrative office was inspired by ant colonies.[41]
Chae was also inspired by theSaemaul Undong political initiative of the 1970s aimed to modernize rural South Korean villages.[93] The mint green and pink color theme throughout the show were a common theme from South Korean schools in the 1970s and 1980s. Green-suited characters develop associations of fear with pink through its use in guard outfits and the stairway room.[94][92]
The players' dormitory was envisioned with the concept of "people who are abandoned on the road" according to Chae; this was also used in the tug-of-war game.[94] The room was designed using white tiles and the curved opening like a vehicular tunnel. The bed and stairs initially were laid out to look like warehouse shelves, but as the episodes progressed and these furnishing used as makeshift defenses, they took the appearance of broken ladders and stairs, implying the way these players were trapped with no way out, according to Chae.[94] The dinner scene that took place in the eighth episode was inspired by the art installationThe Dinner Party byJudy Chicago.[92] Walls of many of the areas where the games took place were painted in skies inspired byThe Empire of Light series byRené Magritte.[92]
The crew spent the most time crafting the set for the Marbles game, creating a mix of realism and fakeness as to mirror the life and death nature of the games themselves.[95] Chae stated that this set was designed as a combination of small theatrical stages, each stage representing parts of Player 001's memories.[94] The VIP room was one of the last pieces to be designed, and Chae said that they decided on an animal-based theme for both the costumes and room for this; "The VIPs are the kind of people who take other people's lives for entertainment and treat them like game pieces on a chessboard, so I wanted to create a powerful and instinctive look for the room."[94]
Most sets were a combination of practical sets andchroma key backgrounds. For example, in the Glass Stepping Stones scenes, the set, designed as if in a circus tent for the players performing for the VIPs, was only 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) off the ground, using chroma key screens to simulate the height in post-production. In filming, this was far enough from the ground to make the actors nervous, which contributed to the scene.[95][94] The tug-of-war set was actually set more than 10 metres (33 ft) off the ground, which further created anxiety for some of the actors with fears of heights.[94]
The robot doll in the first episode, "Red Light, Green Light", was inspired by Young-hee, a character who appeared on the covers of South Korean textbooksChul-soo and Young-hee in the 1970s and 1980s,[92] and her hairstyle was inspired by Hwang's daughter's.[91][94] The doll singsongs, in Korean, "Mugunghwa flower has blossomed", referring to theHibiscus syriacus, thenational flower of South Korea.[67] The use of this familiar character was meant to juxtapose memories of childhood and unsettling fear in the players, according to Chae.[94] Similarly, the set for the dalgona game, using giant pieces of playground equipment, were to evoke players' memories of their childhood, and was a common place where South Korean children would have played dalgona with friends.[94] Thedalgona used in "The Man with the Umbrella" were made by a street vendor fromDaehangno.[96]
Throughout the series, the trio of circle, triangle, and square shapes appear frequently on the cards given to recruit players, on the guards' masks, and in the show'stitle card in most language adaptations. These are shapes associated with the playing field for the children's game ofSquid (ojingeo). They are also used to represent the hierarchy of the guards within the complex. Following from the comparison with anant colony, the guards with circles are considered the workers, triangles as the soldiers, and squares as the managers (see also:Korean honorifics).[97][better source needed]
Principal photography for the second season was scheduled to start in July 2023 and was expected to last for "at least 10 months".[98] On July 10, staff members of the production faced a controversy involving allegations of mistreatment towards citizens during filming atIncheon Airport. The production company issued an official apology on the matter.[99] Filming was reportedly underway in August 2023.[100] Filming took place simultaneously with the third season andwrapped in June 2024.[101]
In Season 2, players vote whether to continue or end the games and split the accumulated money, wearing designated "X" or "O" patches(pictured)[102]
The second season's new voting system, differing significantly from the first season, allows players to vote after every game whether to continue the competition or leave with a share of the accumulated prize money.[102][103] In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Hwang explained that the new red-and-blue voting system was designed to emphasize the idea of forced division and the pressure to take sides. The redesigned dormitory set includes large red and blue symbols and lines that physically split the room.[104]
Jung Jae-il, who previously composed the soundtrack forParasite, composed and directedSquid Game's score.[105] To prevent it from becoming boring, he asked the help of composers Park Min-ju, and Kim Sung-soo, a music director for musicals who uses the stage name "23" as a composer.[106]
Two classical music pieces are also used throughout the show as part of the players' routine: the third movement ofJoseph Haydn's "Trumpet Concerto" is used to wake the players, andJohann Strauss II's "The Blue Danube" is used to indicate the start of a new game.[105]Ludwig van Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony" is also heard in the VIP lounge.[105] A cover of "Fly Me to the Moon",[h] arranged by Jung and sung by South Korean artist Joo Won Shin, was used over the "Red Light, Green Light" game of the first episode; according to Joo, Hwang wanted a contrast between the brutal killing of the players and the "romantic and beautiful lyrics and melody" of the song, such that the scene "embodies the increasingly polarized capitalist society that we live in today in a very compressed and cynical way".[107]
For the song "Way Back Then" that accompanies children playing Squid Game, Jung wanted to use instruments that he practiced in elementary school, such as recorders and castanets.[106] The rhythm of the song is based on a 3-3-7 clapping rhythm that is commonly used in South Korea to cheer someone on.[106] The recorder, played by Jung himself, had a slight "beep", which was unintentional.[108] The song "Round VI" was played by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra.[109] The soundtrack was released on September 17, 2021.[110]
The first season ofSquid Game was released on September 17, 2021, in more than 190 countries.[114] The second season was released on December 26, 2024.[36] The third and final season was announced alongside the premiere of the second season,[115] and it was released on June 27, 2025.[116]
ASquid Gamepop-up store opened inParis on October 2 and 3, 2021,[122] and a person could win a free one-month Netflix subscription if they managed to get the right shape from thedalgona in one minute and 30 seconds.[123][124]
In the Netherlands, Netflix hosted its own Squid Game where people were able to play the gameRed Light, Green Light in bothMaastricht andRotterdam. A replica of the doll was exhibited and staff were dressed as guards. Winners were awarded with Squid Gamememorabilia. The event attracted hundreds of people.[125][126][127] Similar events featuring replicas of the doll occurred across the world, includingSydney[128] and the United Kingdom.[129]
In October 2021, theHollywood Reporter interviewed Netflix Asia's executive Kim Minyoung, who said that the company was looking into a possiblevideo game adaptation of the series.[50]
Netflix has licensedSquid Game for merchandising. A Young-hee vinyl figure was released in January 2022.[130]Funko released a set ofSquid Game themed Funko Pop! figurines in May 2022.[131]
During Netflix Geeked Week in September 2024, a poster and a teaser for season 2 were released.[132][133] On December 19, 2024, arave party related to the season was held in London.[134] Famous streamerIbai Llanos organized his own version of Squid Game with KFC.[135] Filipino journalist MJ Marfori attended the three-day event for the season and also interviewed Lee Jung-jae.[136] In Thailand, several events were hosted to promoteSquid Game, including a recreation of the skipping rope game at Lan Khon Mueang, atown square nearWat Suthat andGiant Swing.[137]
Call of Duty teamed up withSquid Game to create a special bundle, withTom Choi reprising his role as the masked voice ofthe Front Man.[138] A new operator comes in the form of a frontman from the show, with operators receiving skins for players and the guards. New game modes were added toCall of Duty that comes from the show.
The first season received critical acclaim.[145] Onreview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 95% of 77 reviews are positive for the first season. The website's critics consensus reads: "Squid Game's unflinching brutality is not for the faint of heart, but sharp social commentary and a surprisingly tender core will keep viewers glued to the screen – even if it's while watching between their fingers."[139] OnMetacritic, the first season has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[140]
The second season received generally positive reviews from critics. On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 83% of 94 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "While Squid Game's return can't help but lose the element of surprise, some absolutely diabolical challenges and a knotty moral outlook keep this sophomore season thrilling."[141] OnMetacritic, the second season has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[142]
The third and final season received generally positive reviews from critics. On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 79% of 58 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "The games reach a grim crescendo in this climactic third season, repeating familiar beats but with a ruthlessness that drives creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's themes home."[143] OnMetacritic, the third season has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[144] However, some news outlets reported that audience reception to the third season was more mixed, showing roughly half-positive and half-negative user reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.[146]The New York Times commented that to justify a second or third season as a creative work, "there had to be something that surprised us," and criticized the show for repeating formulas it had only recently established. The review noted that while the protagonist Gi-hun's decisions provided tension, some supporting characters drawn from Western and war film archetypes felt one-dimensional and predictable. It further argued that while Hwang Dong-hyuk still staged action skillfully, his imagination seemed lacking.[citation needed]
The first season of the series became the firstKorean drama to top Netflix's top ten weekly most-watched TV show charts globally. It reached number one in 94 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.[147] Netflix estimated thatSquid Game had drawn over 111 million member households worldwide after 17 days of availability,[148][i] and over 142 million member households after 28 days, and becoming theservice's most-watched series at its launch.[149] After Netflix revamped its published metrics of viewership in November 2021 based on total hours watched of the series,Squid Game remained the most-watched show on the service, with over 1.65 billion hours within its first 28 days compared toBridgerton's 625 million hours.[150]
Squid Game is considered one of the latest examples of theKorean Wave, the growing trend of popular South Korean media to gain international attention since the early 2010s, similar to popularKorean pop acts likeBTS andKorean dramas and films likeParasite. Such works had drawn more attention due to streaming services like Netflix andYouTube making South Korean content, traditionally controlled by the country's national broadcasters, available across the globe. Further, according to Choe Sang-Hun ofThe New York Times, South Korean creators have a way of taking ideas from foreign works and applying their own cultural spin on it that draws in more audiences.[151]
The first season's four SAG Award nominations also made history in it becoming the first non-English series and first Korean series to be nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Individually,Lee Jung-jae became the first male actor from Asia and South Korea to receive an individual SAG Award nomination in television andHoYeon Jung became the second actress of Asian as well as Korean descent to do the same.[152] With both actors winning, the show made history in becoming the first non-English language television series to win at the SAG Awards. The show also received 14 nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Awards, including for Best Drama, making it the first non-English show to be nominated in this category.[153]
Hwang wroteSquid Game based on his own personal experiences and observations ofcapitalism and economicclass struggles within South Korea.[43] Hwang also considered that his script was targeted towards global issues regarding capitalism, stating, "I wanted to create something that would resonate not just for Korean people but globally. This was my dream." He added, "I do believe that the overall global economic order is unequal and that around 90% of the people believe that it's unfair. During the pandemic, poorer countries can't get their people vaccinated. They're contracting viruses on the streets and even dying. So I did try to convey a message about modern capitalism. As I said, it's not profound."[9]
Hwang had also worked with Netflix to create amockumentary inspired bySquid Game's success, titledThe Best Show on the Planet. Hwang said the comedy was based on his own personal experience of being pushed into the spotlight due to the rapid and ongoing success ofSquid Game.[154]
Netflix announced areality competition series,Squid Game: The Challenge, in June 2022 along with an open casting call. The ten-episode series saw 456 players competing for aUS$4.56 million cash prize, with challenges based on those in the show.[155] Production was a joint work ofStudio Lambert and The Garden. The filming started in early 2023 at Cardington Studios in Bedfordshire.[156] The first five episodes of the show were released internationally on November 22, 2023, while four more episodes were released on November 29,[157] with its finale released on December 6; a second season was announced.[158]
Netflix releasedSquid Game: Unleashed in December 2024, a video game that lets players compete as characters playing the children's games featured in the show. The game gave players rewards for watching each episode.[159]
Deadline Hollywood reported in October 2024 that an English-language spin-off ofSquid Game for Netflix, produced byDavid Fincher, was in development.[160][161] Preliminary reports indicate the show, to be called Squid Game: America, is set to start production in Los Angeles in February 2026.[162]
^At the time of broadcast, ₩45.6 billion was approximatelyUS$38 million or€33 million.
^In an interview withVanity Fair, Hwang revealed the original number of participants for the game in the original script was around 1000, but he later reduced the numbers due to budget issues. The amount of total prize money for the show was set similar to the largest amount of prize money ever given forlotteries in South Korea. Gi-hun was allocated the last number, 456, to reflect his social status in the show.[10]
^Hwang Dong-Hyuk said the number was actually a pun using the fact that "two-eighteen" in Korean isi-sibpal (이십팔), similar to theKorean swear wordssibal (씨발, "fucker").[10]
^lit. The dayhibiscus bloomed. The English title references the gameRed Light, Green Light. The Korean title references the Korean version of the game.
^The title is a reference to the1924 Korean novel with the same name that tells the story of a rickshaw man initially being happy earning a lot of money from having a lot of customers on a rainy day, and thrilled to buy his wife some soup, only to find his wife dead in her house.[35]
^Following thebankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 and as part of the2008 financial crisis, banks in South Korea had tried to help provide external investments to stabilize foreign currency rates. As the crisis worsened into 2009, these stabilization attempts had failed, causing a reversing of money from the country, and forcing banks to drastically increase interest rates and seek high-risk short-term loans made to citizens to try to recover.[39]
^Red Paper, Blue Paper [ko], also known by its Japanese nameAkai-Kami-Aoi-Kami, is an urban legend that started from Japan that was later spread to South Korea. The legend is about a ghost that haunts the toilets and is known to ask the question, "Do you want blue toilet paper or red toilet paper?" Either option will result in the death of the person. Unlike the Korean versions, the ghost of the Japanese story has a name called "Aka Manto".
^Hwang revealed that the music figures used for the project were the ones in the gas station where he wrote the script, and that they were playing "Fly Me to the Moon", and this is why he used the music for the show.[10]
^One "viewer" is defined by Netflix as a subscriber having viewed any portion of a work longer than two minutes.[148]
^Ha, Soo-jung (January 6, 2024).주연 이정재 14억→조연 탑·이서환 3억..'오겜2' 출연료 진실 [Oh!쎈 이슈] [Lead actor Lee Jung-jae 1.4 billion → Supporting actors Top and Lee Seo-hwan 300 million.. The truth about the appearance fee for 'Ogame 2' [Oh! Strong Issue]].OSEN (in Korean).Archived from the original on January 6, 2025. RetrievedJanuary 6, 2024 – viaNaver.
^Jang Ah-reum (June 2, 2020).[단독] 위하준, 넷플릭스 오리지널 '오징어 게임' 합류...이정재와 호흡 [[Exclusive] Ha-Jun Wi joins Netflix's original 'Squid Game'...Breathing with Lee Jung-jae] (in Korean). News1.Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Kim Hyun-rok (June 2, 2020).[단독]톱모델 정호연, '오징어게임' 여주인공...본격 연기 데뷔 [[Exclusive] Top model Jeong Ho-yeon, the female lead in 'Squid Game'...full-fledged acting debut] (in Korean). SpoTV News.Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2021 – viaNaver.
^abKim Yu-jin (August 26, 2021).'오징어 게임' 오영수·위하준→허성태·김주령, 목숨 건 '일촉즉발' 서바이벌 참가 ['Squid Game' Oh Young-soo, Wi Ha-joon → Heo Seong-tae, Kim Joo-ryung participate in the life-threatening 'one-touch' survival] (in Korean). X-sports News.Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Jang, Ah-reum (June 2, 2020).[단독] 허성태, 넷플릭스 '오징어 게임' 합류...대세 신스틸러 행보ing [[Exclusive] Seongtae Heo joins Netflix's 'Squid Game'...Trending scene stealer] (in Korean). News1.Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Jeong Hee-yeon (June 17, 2020).'오징어 게임' 허성태-위하준-김주령-정호연 캐스팅 확정 [공식] ['Squid Game' Heo Seong-tae, Wi Ha-jun, Kim Joo-ryung, Jeong Ho-yeon casting confirmed [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Donga.Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2021 – viaNaver.
^[단독] 김시은, '오징어 게임2' 여주인공 캐스팅...제2의 정호연 될까 [[Exclusive] Kim Si-eun cast as the female lead in 'Squid Game 2'... Will she be the next Jung Ho-yeon?].OSEN (in Korean). June 26, 2023.Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. RetrievedDecember 22, 2023.
^Hwang So-young (December 20, 2023).[단독] '열일' 전석호 '범죄도시3' 이어 '오징어게임2' 출연 [[Exclusive] Jeon Seok-ho of 'Hard Day' appears in 'Squid Game 2' following 'Crime City 3'] (in Korean).JTBC.Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. RetrievedDecember 20, 2023.
^Lee, Seunghoon (March 12, 2024).[단독]오달수 품는다..'오징어 게임2' 출연 확정 [종합].Naver TV Entertainment (in Korean).Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. RetrievedMarch 15, 2024.
^Kim Ji-won (August 11, 2021).전여빈 나나 류경수 '글리치' 촬영 중단 "보조출연자 코로나 확진"[공식] [[Official] Lee Jung-jae X Park Hae-soo's 'Squid Game' to be released on Netflix on September 17].Ten Asia (in Korean).Naver.Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. RetrievedAugust 12, 2021.
^Kim, Kyungsoo (October 19–20, 2009)."Global Financial Crisis and the Korean Economy"(PDF). In Glick, Reuven Glick; Spiegel, Mark M. (eds.).Asia Economic Policy Conference. pp. 277–284.Archived(PDF) from the original on November 1, 2021. RetrievedOctober 28, 2021.
^Seo Jeong-min (September 29, 2021).""'오징어 게임' 속 달고나 뜬다고 농담했는데 진짜 떠서 얼떨떨"" ["I joked that dalgona in 'Squid Game' was floating, but I was really shocked."].The Hankyoreh Newspaper (in Korean).Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. RetrievedOctober 2, 2021.
^Lee Jeong-yeon (August 6, 2021).'고요의 바다' '오징어게임'...넷플릭스 대작들 개봉박두' ['Squid Game'... Netflix's blockbuster releases].Sports Donga (in Korean).Naver.Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. RetrievedAugust 12, 2021.
^Tae Yu-na (October 1, 2021).'오징어게임' 정호연 "첫 연기 도전, 심리적 부담 컸죠" [인터뷰②] ['Squid Game' Jeong Ho-yeon "My first acting challenge was a great psychological burden" [Interview ②]] (in Korean). Ten Asia.Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. RetrievedOctober 2, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Jeong Hee-yeon (June 17, 2020).'오징어 게임' 허성태-위하준-김주령-정호연 캐스팅 확정 [공식] ['Squid Game' Casting Confirmed [Official]].Sports Donga (in Korean).Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. RetrievedAugust 12, 2021.
^abLee Ho-jae (October 2, 2021)."오징어게임, 동화적 공간서 비극 연출...충격 극대화" ["The squid game, directing a tragedy in a fairy tale space..."Maximize Impact"] (in Korean).The Dong-A Ilbo.Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. RetrievedOctober 2, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Moon Da-young (September 30, 2021).'오징어 게임' 우산 달고나 도전하고 싶다면 대학로에 [If you want to challenge the 'Squid Game' with an umbrella, go to Daehangno.].Yonhap News Agency (in Korean).Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. RetrievedOctober 2, 2021.
^"イ・ジョンジェ、『イカゲーム2』撮影2日休んで来日 初監督映画「作ってよかった」" [Lee Jung-jae took two days off from filming "Squid Game 2" to come to Japan. "I'm glad I made it", he said of his first film as a director].ORICON NEWS. September 4, 2023.Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 5, 2023.
^오징어게임 OST.Melon.Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2021.
^오징어게임 OST [Squid Game OST]. Genie Music. Stone Music Entertainment.Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2021 – viaMelon.
^Lee, Seung-mi (August 11, 2021).[공식]이정재X박해수 넷플릭스 오리지널 '오징어 게임', 9월 17일 공개 확정 [[Official]Lee Jung-jae X Park Hae-soo's Netflix original 'Squid Game' confirmed to be released on September 17] (in Korean).Sports Chosun.Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. RetrievedJuly 31, 2024 – viaNaver.
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