Everything we know about 'Squid Game' season 2
Netflix renewed "Squid Game" after its successful first season.
The hit Korean series follows a group of people taking part in a deadly competition for money.
Twelve new actors will joined the cast for season two alongside the four returning stars.
"Squid Game" first became a pop-culture sensation when it premiered in September 2021. Over two years later, fans are devouring the new reality competition show based on the drama, but they're still eagerly awaiting another round of the original series.
The Korean show, which followed a group of poor civilians fighting for their lives in a deadly competition in order to win enough money to pay off their debts, quickly became a pop-culture sensation after going viral on social media. Replica costumes from the show were worn at protests, YouTubers and other groups pledged to recreate the games in real life, and new memes and TikTok trends were inspired by the games in the show.
A month after its release, "Squid Game" became the most-watched series on the platform and broke records by becoming the first foreign-language series, and first Korean series, to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award.
Series creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk initially said that he wasn't too keen to do a second season of the hit show, noting that the stress of filming the first season caused him to lose six teeth.
However, in November 2021, he confirmed that he was in the "planning process" for a second season, saying: "You leave us no choice." The show was officially renewed by Netflix in June 2022.
Here's everything we know about the upcoming second season of "Squid Game."
The protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) will appear in the second season.
Season one ended on a cliffhanger, leaving several questions for the audience. The most crucial question was to do with the lead character Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a kind-hearted gambler.
After winning the death competition at the cost of his friend Cho Sang-woo's life, Gi-hun fell into a depression. He then discovered that the creator of the competition was one of the competitors he befriended, Oh Il-nam (Hideo Kimura).
At the end of the finale, Gi-hun is faced with a decision to move on with his life and be with his daughter or stop the deadly game once and for all. He appears to choose the latter.
In a Netflix statement shared in June 2022, "Squid Game" creator Hwang confirmed that Gi-hun will return for the second season.
While the extent of his role in the second season has not been clarified, he will likely be fighting against the people in charge of the competition.
In August 2022, Hwang indicated to The Hollywood Reporter that season two will focus on Gi-hun's transformation from the end of the first season.
"Instead of trying to meet the expectations of viewers, I just thought about the last moment when Gi-hun turned away from boarding the plane, and I thought about what he will do next," Hwang said. "There will naturally be a flow of events that will lead all the way to the end of the season."
He continued: "I can't share any details yet, but you know that Seong Gi-hun has become a totally new person by the end of season one, so season two is going to be about what that new Gi-hun is going to do and how things will unfold with this new kind of character."
At least one of the villains from the first season will also return.
The creator's statement also confirmed that the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) will return in season two, and that "the man in the suit with ddakji" (played by "Train to Busan" star Gong Yoo) may make an appearance too.
Both characters were villains who were part of the secret organization running the deadly competition.
"The man in the suit with ddakji" refers to Gong Yoo's unnamed character who appears only in the series premiere and finale. He is the recruiter for the games and plays a Korean paper game, Ddakji, with possible contenders before roping them into the competition.
Much of season one follows a detective, Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who goes undercover in the games to find his missing brother who had previously taken part. However, in episode eight, Jun-Ho discovers that his brother is now the Front Man leading the games. The Front Man appears to shoot Jun-Ho dead before the detective can expose the group's operations.
But we never see Jun-Ho's body, which could mean the character could return in the second season to try and save his brother. Wi, the actor who plays Jun-Ho, told Deadline in 2021 that he also wants his character to return alive.
"I'm dying to know what happened to him," Wi said. "I want him to return alive, find his brother and ask him tons of questions. As a brother, I would ask him sincerely. As a detective, I want to explore the overall secrets behind the game as well. I really hope to see Jun-ho come back alive and explore all these questions. I hope to see a more brotherly-love side of their relationship as well."
Netflix revealed twelve new cast members will be players in season two's game.
In June 2023, Netflix made a few announcements about the upcoming second season of "Squid Game" during their TUDUM global fan event.
They revealed that Detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi) would return in the second season, although they did not confirm if the character is still alive or if he will appear only in flashbacks.
In addition, the streamer announced 12 new actors who will star as players in "Squid Game" season two.
The new cast members are Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Jo Yu-ri, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Lee Jin-uk, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, and Won Ji-an.
Gyu-young, Sung-hoon, and Lee have previously starred in two other popular Netflix K-dramas, "Sweet Home" and "The Glory."
Netflix also confirmed that the cast has had their first table read and that production would start in 2023.
The creepy killer doll has a boyfriend.
"Squid Game" creator Hwang did not reveal much about the plot of season two in his Netflix statement announcing the renewal, but he did write: "You'll also be introduced to Young-hee's boyfriend, Cheol-su."
Young-hee is the name of the creepy giant robot doll, based on a real statue, used in the "Red Light, Green Light" game in episode one. In the game, the doll would turn at certain moments to catch contestants out — and if they moved, they were shot dead.
According to Koreaboo, Young-hee and Cheol-su were well-known characters from old South Korean textbooks, often depicted as best friends.
This could mean the series will have a new deadly game involving another giant, creepy doll.
Other actors from season one could reprise their roles in the second season.
In March 2022, Hwang also teased that "Squid Game" star Jung Ho-yeon could return in season two.
Jung played Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector who takes part in the deadly competition to get enough money to reunite her family. The character dies in episode eight after being killed by Sang-woo just before the final game in the competition.
Hwang told Deadline on the red carpet at the PGA Awards that he would "try something" to bring back actors who play characters that are dead. Gesturing to Jung, he said: "Let's say maybe she has a twin sister, you'll see."
Jung laughed and replied: "I could change my hair color. Let's do a little plastic surgery."
Kang Sae-byeok was Jung's first acting role, but she quickly became a fan-favorite and even won a SAG award for her performance on the show.
Jung told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2021 that she lost six pounds in the week after the show came out because she struggled to comprehend the success of the series.
When Netflix announced the season two cast at its June 2023 event, Jung was not mentioned.
Season two might not be the end of the story.
Gi-hun's revolution against the deadly competition may not be completed in one season.
The "Squid Game" creator told the Korea Times in December 2021 that he was also in talks with Netflix for a third season of the show.
Netflix has not confirmed a third season, but season two may be left open-ended to allow space for more stories.
Read the original article on Insider
