“Squid Game” mastermind and star dive into the much darker season 2

To say that anticipation for “Squid Game” is high is an understatement“ Season 2.

More than three years have passed since the South Korean dystopian survival thriller debuted on September 17, 2021, quickly rising to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts and becoming the most popular and most-watched show of all time – a distinction it still holds to this day . The global recognition led to “Squid Game” garnering dozens of awards the following year, including historic acting wins at the Emmys, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, while increasing Netflix’s value by nearly $1 billion and as such established itself as a ubiquitous worldwide hit, spawning the controversial real-life competition show Squid Game: The Challenge.

“Squid Game” mastermind Hwang Dong-hyuk, who originally planned the Korean-language series about class differences and economic inequality as a one-season story, felt enormous pressure to write a second installment – all seven episodes drop December 26 – deserves the attention and praise that Season 1 received.

“Because I had no intention of doing a second season from the start, especially since it came right after the huge success of the first season, there was pressure on me for a long time not to want to disappoint the fans of the first season.” It is a long time,” said Hwang, the series’ sole director and writer. “But instead of it being a negative energy or a big burden for me, I tried to turn all of that into a positive energy and a source of motivation that pushes me to be even better.”

“After going through all these processes, I look back now and think that although it was a burden at first, I’m very happy that we decided to do more seasons – and I’m gaining a lot more confidence in it too “What we do.” (The third and final season is scheduled to premiere in 2025.) “Now I’m very happy with what we’ve created.”

The result is a darker, grittier, and more sinister Season 2 that picks up right where the last episode left off. As Lee Jung-jae’s red-headed Seong Gi-hun, the sole survivor and winner of the Games, prepares to board a plane to reunite with his estranged family in the United States, a threatening phone conversation occurs with the frontman (Lee Byung-hun). ), the games’ master puppeteer (and like Gi-hun, a previous winner), makes him abandon his plans and vow to destroy the games’ existence – from within.

Lee “felt pressure” to slip back into the iconic green tracksuit as Player 456, due in part to the two- to three-year production break between seasons. During this time, Lee made his feature film debut with the spy thriller “Hunt” and headlined the “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte.”

“I had accumulated my personal and professional experiences, which meant I had to break free from them to return to Gi-hun,” he said, adding, “It wasn’t easy for me to connect as an actor.” again with his “Squid Game” character. “Although it wasn’t an easy gig, I was really looking forward to getting back into the games and on set.” It was also the first time in his 30-year career that he had reprized a role.

At the start of the second season, Gi-hun enters the Games stunned by the tragedy and trauma he experienced in the arena three years earlier when he achieved his bittersweet victory – his demeanor, personality and perspective were in stark contrast to his unwavering optimism. even against impossible odds of life and death, in Season 1. “Some people might say that maybe he would do better this time because he’s already been through it,” Lee said. “But other people would say that might not be the case because the host knows it’s his second time so they make it harder for him. There are many theories that are possible.”

Due to Gi-hun’s previous participation in the games, he takes on an unofficial leadership role with the new players, causing tension, strife, and distrust among the group. Some of the new “Squid Game” characters are played by established South Korean actors and singers, such as Im Si-wan, Jo Yu-ri, Choi Seung-hyun (former TOP of K-pop group Big Bang) and Park Gyu-young and Park Sung-hoon. “This new group of actors and working with these different characters really motivated me,” Lee said. “Sometimes they listened to Gi-hun and worked the way Gi-hun would have liked, but there could also be betrayal.”

Twists in the upcoming season include the introduction of new games (the hardest part of developing the scripts, Hwang said) and players’ decisions to continue playing or quit after each round. The votes cast will be marked by an “X” for “No” to end the game or an “O” for “Yes” to continue on each player’s tracksuit.

“In Season 2, Gi-hun has a very clear goal, which is to stop the games,” Lee said. “He wants to convince the players to save lives and he also wants to punish the host who is behind the games. This time he has a very clear goal and that is the biggest change from season 1.”

Hwang agreed that “revenge and sense of mission are (Gi-hun’s) strongest motives,” but said other factors also played a role. “He also carries the guilt of the bereaved and wants redemption.” Another underlying motivation, Hwang said, is Gi-hun’s relentless drive to compete and win. “He is driven by a need or desire to prove that he is right, regardless of how he thinks or how he sees the world or his values.

“In his duel with the frontman he wants to bring the frontman to his knees. This is something that is deeply rooted in him,” Hwang continued. Gi-hun’s desire to win “will continue as the episodes progress. Sometimes it can blind him when it comes to making a logical decision, and it can also play a role when it comes to ending the games.”

Lee and Hwang had frequent on-set conversations during the filming of Season 2, regularly checking to see if both were aware of Gi-hun’s psychological mindset and how interactions with other players would influence his decisions or affect his emotions.

“Many fans loved the naive and childish Gi-hun in Season 1,” Lee said. “If I portray the tougher Gi-hun in Season 2, maybe people would miss the old Gi-hun. So I tried my best to show my new character but still provide glimpses of his old self.”

Hwang agreed that this is a key focus. “We wanted to narrow the gap between the two different gi-huns,” he said. “I wanted that side of his human nature to come out. We talked a lot about how to express those aspects of the character, even though he has a much more serious and determined manner.”

Even though a darker path is set for Gi-hun and the other players in Season 2, the DNA of Squid Game remains intact, with some of the creative tracks informed by fan theories and reactions.

“I realized that the direction I was taking was different than what the fans out there expected,” Hwang said, “so I was very happy to know that I would give them the twists that I wanted .” to (experience) them. They helped me a lot in avoiding predictions of any kind.”

Lee hinted at a more devastating midseason turnaround. “After Episode 4, you will see an even bigger change in Gi-hun’s character. I can’t give too much away, but more desperate circumstances are coming – and that leads to many dramatic changes in Gi-hun’s character.”

And that’s just the beginning. “There will be twists in every episode,” Lee promised. “That will be the strength of this show.”

A version of this story first appeared in the SAG Preview/Documentaries/International issue of TheWrap Awards magazine.

Read more from the SAG Preview/Documentaries/International issue here.