‘Squid Game’ Creator on Season 2: ‘Immense Pressure’ Shaped The Process

“Squid Game” writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk dedicated nearly a decade to developing the story that would eventually become the first season of his Netflix drama.

However, after the series became a global phenomenon, fans and the platform quickly demanded more. Hwang suddenly found himself tasked with writing and producing two additional seasons in a fraction of the time it took to create the original. The Season 2 trailer teases the return of Gi-hun to the deadly games, this time using his hard-earned knowledge to help others navigate the life-or-death challenges.

Despite his warnings of inevitable danger, a new wave of contestants is eager to risk everything for the chance to win billions in the “Squid Game.”

Within a month of its release, "Squid Game" became Netflix’s most-watched series, shattering records as the first Korean and foreign-language show to receive a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nomination. Building on its massive success, Netflix launched a reality competition series inspired by the drama, which premiered in November 2023.

Now, the franchise is preparing to release a second season.

“Because I created Season 1 without much thought about doing the second season, when it was decided that we would do Season 2, the pressure was indeed immense,” director Hwang told IndieWire. “I was thinking to myself: will I really be able to pull this off? Will I be able to create or write something that would exceed Season 1?"

"But once I got to writing, and once I got into the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) returning to the games with his own motives, it actually went a lot better than I thought it would," he continued. "I was able to create a story that I felt was more intriguing, come up with more interesting characters and come up with more original and intriguing games as well.”

Netflix renewed "Squid Game" in June 2022 and later confirmed plans for a third season.

“Along the way, I think that sense of burden or pressure actually changed into a source of joy, and I gradually gained the confidence that we were creating something that the fans of the first season would not be disappointed with,” he added. “Having said that, it was obviously no easy feat. However, I think with that confidence, I was able to go into it with a better approach.”

Hwang revealed to IndieWire that developing Season 2 alongside the third and final season, set to release in late 2025, significantly influenced his writing process, shaping the story in ways that wouldn’t have been possible with more time between installments.

“I wrote Seasons 2 and 3 at the same time… and along the storyline, there is a turning point that takes place, and that leads to a series of different events, and also leads to a significant change in the character,” Hwang said. “Relatively speaking, the ending for Season 2 came to me quite early on."

He added, "However, the ending to Season 3, actually ended up [in] a different direction than what I had initially conceived of. While I was working on the story and working on the script, I saw this new path that I wanted to go down, and so the ending of Season 3 actually changed in the process of creating Season 2.”

The first season of "Squid Game" concluded with a cliffhanger, leaving many unanswered questions. At the center of the intrigue was Seong Gi-hun, a kind-hearted but struggling gambling addict portrayed by Lee Jung-jae.

After emerging victorious in the deadly competition at the cost of his friend Cho Sang-woo’s (Park Hae-soo) life, Gi-hun sank into a deep depression. His despair only deepened upon learning that one of his closest allies in the game, Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), was, in fact, the mastermind behind the entire competition.

At the end of the finale, Gi-hun was left with a pivotal choice: focus on rebuilding his life and being there for his daughter or dedicate himself to putting an end to the deadly game. In the final moments, he appeared to opt for the latter.

Season two teasers have revealed that Gi-hun will re-enter the competition, and the latest trailer offers insight into his motives—this time, he appears to be guiding contestants to survive and possibly rebel against the game. However, for his plan to work, he’ll need to overcome their inherent greed.

Gi-hun’s return in season two is just the beginning, as his fight against those running the deadly competition is set to continue into the third and final season.

“Squid Game 2” premieres December 26 on Netflix.