Three years after a first part which broke audience records on Netflix, the Korean series “Squid Game” makes its big return on Thursday December 26, 2024 with a highly anticipated season 2. And that's not all. A third and final season is already planned for December 2025, while an American remake, supervised by David Fincher, is under development. The series, which inspired a reality TV game, has also been adapted into a video game for Netflix, available since December 17 and entitled: “Squid Game: Unleashed”.
The most watched series in Netflix history
It must be said that with more than two billion hours viewed, this horrific thriller, which has become a global phenomenon, is the most watched series in the history of Netflix, a feat for a non-English-speaking series. Originally planned as a single season, the series follows desperate characters who are lured into participating in deadly games for a colossal sum of money.
Before diving into this new season, let's recall the significant events of the finale of the first season (beware of spoilers from the end of season 1). Seong Gi-hun, aka Player No. 456 (Lee Jung-jae), triumphed in a heartbreaking final clash with his former friend Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo). After witnessing betrayal and gruesome deaths, Gi-hun is left with 45.6 billion won, but a life marked by guilt.
When he receives a mysterious invitation from Oh Il-nam, the old man who seemed to be one of the most vulnerable in the game, Gi-hun decides to go in search of answers. This journey leads him to discover that the organization of the games is orchestrated by a wealthy elite, fueled by boredom and despair. Another key character, the “Front Man” (Lee Byung-hun), is revealed to be Hwang In-ho, a former winner of the games and brother of an undercover police officer, Hwang Jun-ho. The season ends with a twist where Gi-hun, about to fly to the United States, decides not to let the organization continue its activities and promises to destroy it.
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In Season 2, Gi-hun returns with absolute determination to avenge the fallen and bring down the organization behind the Squid Game. Lee Jung-jae, who plays Gi-hun, explained to “Premiere” the evolution of his character: “He was once jovial and optimistic, but the reality of the game has left deep scars“, confides the actor. Gi-hun joins forces with Hwang Jun-ho, who was thought to be dead at the end of the first season. The police officer, played by Wi Ha-joon, makes his comeback. season 2 introduces new characters, who will enrich the plot.
We discover Lee Myung-gi (Im Si-wan), a former YouTuber ruined by a scam, and Kim Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), his former girlfriend, who seeks revenge. Other newcomers include Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun), a former rapper, and Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), a former special forces soldier who has come to finance her gender confirmation surgery. The story also focuses on the Front Man, who, after being an enigmatic figure in the first season, becomes a central character. “We will discover his personal story and the deep reasons for his transformation into leader of the Squid Games“, explains Lee Byung-hun, the actor who plays this character, to our colleagues at “Première”.
“This whole process has almost been a burden”
Hwang Dong-hyeok, creator of “Squid Game”
Beyond the new challenges and characters, season 2 of “Squid Game” continues to denounce social and economic injustices. Like season 1, it is rooted in the socio-economic reality of South Korea, particularly in violent social conflicts like the occupation of the Ssangyong factory in 2009, as explained by RTL. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyeok took inspiration from these events to show the impact of systemic violence on individuals.
However, imagining a sequel to his original idea was not easy. “I wrote season 1 with no intention of doing season 2.“, he confides to BFMTV. “So taking on the challenge was not an easy task. I had created the whole universe, which made writing the second season easier. But all my favorite characters and all the games had been seen in the first season, “They had already played and almost everyone was dead. Coming back with new games and new characters, that whole process was almost a burden on me. I had a lot of pressure writing and filming.
The return of “Squid Game” also comes at a time when social and political tensions are particularly high, particularly in the United States, where the series has caused a real shock. In November, as noted by “Le Courrier International”, “The Hollywood Reporter” analyzed how the Korean series manages to capture the social fractures of contemporary societies, particularly after a divisive presidential campaign. The magazine saw in this dystopian series “the most challenging and striking work of art in pop culture.”
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