It’s been three years since South Korean thriller Squid Game took over and became Netflix’s most-watched series. Centering on a group of 456 people who participate in literal life-or-death rounds of children’s games in the hopes of taking home a life-changing cash prize, the series was an instant hit, raking in almost 2 billion viewing hours in the first four weeks. While Season 2 is finally premiering in December on the 2024 TV schedule, the creator almost didn’t return.
While there had been rumors that a second season was going to happen after the series premiered, it took Netflix nearly a year to officially make the Season 2 announcement in summer 2022. Even though one would think that show that big would get renewed pretty quickly, there’s a good reason for it. Hwang Dong-hyuk, who is behind the hit show, told The BBC that after losing “eight or nine” teeth during the first season, he didn’t want to do another season. And even despite the stress it caused, there’s one thing that convinced him to return:
Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly, I didn’t make much. So, doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one, too. [I also] didn’t fully finish the story.
Having Squid Game stop at one season would have definitely left a lot of story to be told, as Dong-hyuk said he “didn’t fully finish the story.” Since he would be riding off the success of the first season and getting much more money, it’s not surprising that he would say yes to it, but I can’t imagine that it was an easy decision either, even with all the money. Squid Game sounds like a dangerous show to make, but making more money is a big pro.
It's also a good idea that the show is going beyond the first season since it took Hwang Dong-hyuk a decade to get it off the ground. The wait was worth it, though, even if he did lose some teeth and wasn’t paid very much. Netflix clearly knew they had a hit on their hands, especially following all of the broken records. Season 2 may be coming three years after the premiere, but it’s finally almost here.
While Season 2 is on the way, Season 3 is also coming very soon as well. And that time, it'll truly be the end. It was previously revealed that a third season has already been ordered, and fans won’t be waiting three years for it. Season 3 will be premiering at some point in 2025, and it will be the final one. It’s possible that the third and final season will be set up in the second season, but fans will just have to wait and see.
There is a lot to look forward to in Season 2 of Squid Game when the series returns on December 26 and will see the return of Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, and Gong Yoo, in addition to some new faces. Those with a Netflix subscription should prepare themselves because it’s going to be a season you won’t want to miss.
