Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk says the stress of making season 1 caused him to lose “eight or nine” teeth – but he has a pretty straightforward answer as to why he came back for another installment of the hit Netflix show.
After initially saying he wouldn’t make another season, the BBC asked why he changed his mind, and Hwang’s reply was simple: “Money.”
“Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly I didn’t make much. So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too,” he explained, before adding, “And I didn’t fully finish the story.”
Squid Game is the platform’s most-watched show ever – season 1 was streamed for more than 1.6 billion hours in its 28 days of release after it arrived on Netflix in September 2021, which bypasses all previous records held by Netflix movies and shows.
The first season follows a group of people with financial struggles who are invited to take part in a mysterious survival competition with a hefty cash prize. They must compete in a series of traditional games, but with deadly twists, risking their lives for ₩45.6 billion (that’s the equivalent of around $38 million). In season 2, winner Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is back for more – and he wants revenge on the Front Man and to end the games once and for all.
Squid Game season 2 arrives on Netflix on December 26. In the meantime, fill out your watchlist with our guide to the other best Netflix shows streaming right now.