Netflix has released a brief teaser for the second season of its hit drama series “Squid Game,” along with a message from creator, writer, director and executive producer Hwang Dong-Hyuk dispatching details on which characters are returning for the sophomore outing.
“Red light… GREENLIGHT!” reads the message alongside the teaser, which features a brief animation of the gigantic animatronic doll that features heavily in the “Squid Game” pilot.
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“It took 12 years to bring the first season of ‘Squid Game’ to life last year. But it took 12 days for ‘Squid Game’ to become the most popular Netflix series ever,” reads the statement from director Hwang. “As the writer, director and producer of ‘Squid Game,’ a huge shout out to fans around the world. Thank you for watching and loving our show.”
Hwang’s statement continues by teasing a bit of the story for the follow-up season, revealing that protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and the masked antagonist the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) will both return.
“The man in the suit with ddakji might be back,” Hwang writes, before also stating that the boyfriend of Young-hee, the gigantic killer animatronic doll that introduces viewers to how deadly the game is, will be introduced.
“Join us once more for a whole new round,” the statement concludes.
A second season of “Squid Game” was essentially a foregone conclusion after the superlative success of the Korean series on Netflix. By a long shot, the first season marked the streamer’s biggest TV show ever, logging 1.65 billion hours of viewing in the first four weeks of its release last fall.
After Hwang had hinted at a second season in the weeks following the show’s breakthrough, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos officially confirmed more episodes were on the way in January. Hwang has since indicated that a follow-up might be a ways off, stating that episodes likely premiering near the end of 2023 or the start of 2024.
In the meantime, “Squid Game” has emerged as an awards heavyweight. After scoring a slew of nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, including wins for Lee Jung-jae and HoYeon Jung in their respective gendered categories for outstanding performances in a drama series, Netflix is now in the midst of a FYC campaign during the Emmy season. Nominations will be announced on July 12.
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