Will Netflix drop ‘Squid Game’ season 2 next year?

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk may have changed his mind when it came to creating a follow-up to the first season of Squid Game. Despite recently saying he had no immediate plans to develop a season 2, his conversations with the press seem to be turning the tide. Let’s see where the director’s head is at now.

Early questions

When asked whether he would consider creating a season 2, Hwang gives the idea a solid. . . maybe. According to a recent interview in Vanity Fair, the mere idea of a season 2 was quite tiring to even think about. “If I were to do it, I would certainly not do it alone. I’d consider using a writers room and would want multiple experienced directors,” Hwang said.

Either way, Hwang says he will take his time. “Writing (Squid Game) was harder than normal for me as it was a series, not a film. It took me six months to write and rewrite the first two episodes. Then I consulted verbally with friends and picked up clues for improvements through my own pitching and from their responses.”

Thinking aloud

According to Netflix’s global TV head, Bela Bajaria, all of that can be arranged. While speaking with Vulture about Squid Game’s instant success, Bajaria believes a writer’s room will be a breeze to assemble in time for season 2. “We’re trying to figure out the right structure for him.”

When asked by The Times about which direction season 2 would go, Hwang does have an idea about a character who plays a former police officer now overseeing the game. “If I get to do one—one would be the story of the Frontman,” he mused. “I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea. I see it on the global news. . . This was an issue that I wanted to raise. Maybe in season 2 I can talk about this more.”

Contemplating the violence of capitalism

The Frontman character has proven to be just one of many charismatic yet enigmatic characters of Squid Game. The series follows 465 people with serious gambling issues competing in six children’s games over six days to win the equivalent of $38 million US dollars. 

The losers die severely gory deaths, leaving viewers to grapple with their fateful character flaws. Ironically, the nature of their deaths make those flaws all the more endearing and disturbingly relatable.

According to Hwang’s interview with Variety, that was part of the plan. “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,” Hwang said.

He elaborated on that sentiment in his interview with The Times, saying “We’re just all focused on winning. I wanted to take a break and think about who makes the system, and what we’re moving towards.”

Waiting game

Although Netflix is notorious for not renewing multiple seasons of wildly successful series, the skyrocketing success of Korean dramas in the U.S. leads us to believe we have not quite seen the last of Squid Game. In fact, the series has grown to become Netflix’s most popular show across 90 countries behind Bridgerton. It’s also the streaming platform’s most successful non-English show to date since its September 17th debut.

For those who are wondering what seeds for the future were planted at the end of the first season, well, we are not in the business of spoilers. Nevertheless, rest assured we will be on it the moment that season 2 of Squid Game is confirmed. Until then, all nine episodes of Squid Game are currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.

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How soon do you think Hwang will change his mind and take the plunge into a new season? Let us know in the comments!