The creator of Squid Game has revealed why the hit Netflix series has returned for a second season.
The South Korean show quickly became one of the most recognized series on the platform when it released in September 2021.
Racking up a huge 2.8 billion hours viewed in its first two and a half months, it cemented itself as the most-viewed Netflix series that year.
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The thriller followed hundreds of cash-strapped contestants who were invited to compete in children's games for a debt-busting cash prize, with deadly consequences.
Despite being a viral and commercial success, director and creator
Hwang Dong-hyuk wasn't exactly planning to continue the story.
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Not only did he say the stress of working on the show caused him to lose 'eight or nine' teeth, but he didn't really cash-in on Squid Game's success.
Speaking to the BBC, Dong-hyuk told them the simple reason he went ahead with a second season was 'money.'
He explained further: “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.”
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He added: “And I didn’t fully finish the story."
During a previous interview with The Guardian, Dong-hyuk admitted: "I’m not that rich. But I do have enough. I have enough to put food on the table."
He then claimed: "And it’s not like Netflix is paying me a bonus. Netflix paid me according to the original contract."
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Dong-hyuk since told the BBC his stress now was 'even greater' than filming for the first series.
Netflix confirmed season two of Squid Game had been greenlit in 2022, with the hotly-anticipated first trailers dropping earlier this year.
In the first season, even though everyone who participated in the games technically chose to be there, it was made clear that those who chose to risk their lives did so because they knew their lives outside the games would be miserable - or possibly even short-lived.
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While it's not exactly clear what season two has in store for viewers, it looks like Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) ready for round two of the deadly games - and most fans are expecting equally bleak and fascinating games and choices for the contestants to make.
The teaser promises Gi-hun's return to the games after that season one cliffhanger, while teasing some chilling new games that are in store as the stakes ramp up.
Squid Game season two drops on Netflix on December 26.
Topics: Netflix, Film and TV, Korea, Money
Ellie Kemp