Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of one of the biggest new shows from the last year, the Korean dystopian drama series Squid Game, gave an expansive interview where he spoke about the process of writing the show’s first season, and little hints about where it could go for a season two “just in case” he got the opportunity to make it.
Squid Game Season Two
Even though he didn’t expect to make a second season of the series, it burst into international success due to its impressive visuals, fantastic performances by the core cast, and a twisted, satirical concept that has only become more relevant since he first conceived of the idea years ago while massively in debt in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
While Hwang wasn’t specific about what the hints were, he told Indiewire that the clues he wrote into the Season One script were “for myself and also the audience. Just in case there is another season, these things could be loose knots.” He even gave a slight glimpse into the progress of his writing, saying, “I only currently have a broad storyline. I’m in the process of structuring the story and the new games, and wanting to crystallize them into more detailed ideas.”
Hwang, who had only written and directed shorts and feature films before beginning to write Squid Game, said the writing process for the show was “physically and mentally unlike anything I have done before.” He said he had several instances of writer’s block and nearly quit a few times, but also found joy in the process, especially with “thinking about how to leave the audience hanging, wanting more, how to make them binge-watch the next series.”
There ended up being a physical toll for its creator when Squid Game completed its difficult production phase. Hwang said he neglected a gum inflammation on set, which resulted in six teeth having to be surgically removed. Despite the physical and mental difficulties of executing the show, he said finishing Squid Game “gave me a new sense of achievement that wasn’t there when I was working on films.”
Another interesting mention in the interview was that even though the show’s second season is already confirmed, Hwang has yet to finalize a deal with the streamer. Since Hwang’s initial contract for the show’s first season didn’t include a clause to increase pay if the show was a success, he didn’t see any extra money whatsoever after it made an estimated $900 million in profits.
He is currently consulting with an entertainment lawyer and reportedly hopes to sign with a Hollywood agent to help him with the deal. “I need some plan to navigate through Hollywood for my next projects,” Hwang mentioned. “CAA, WME or UTA? I haven’t decided yet.”
We already know about one of Hwang’s upcoming projects, a satirical meta-commentary on Squid Game‘s success currently called The Best Show on the Planet. It’s much more likely that Squid Game 2 will arrive sooner than this interesting idea.
