Following a three-year absence, the hotly anticipated return of Netflix’s landmark TV collection Squid Sport returns for Season 2 on December 26, 2024. After charming the world through the world pandemic lockdown, Squid Sport grew to become so profitable that the subsequent two seasons had been instantly green-lit, written, and shot again to again.
Nevertheless, days earlier than the Season 2 premiere, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk joked that he was already sick of the collection and will depart the franchise, probably withholding Season 3 from the plenty if he turns into too bored with the universe he is constructed. Whereas Netflix has turn into practically synonymous with amount over high quality binge-watching, one of many smartest issues the streaming platform may do is finish Squid Sport earlier than it grows stale and overstays its welcome.
- Launch Date
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September 17, 2021
- Seasons
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2
- Solid
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Wi Ha-joon
, Anupam Tripathi
, Oh Yeong-su
, Heo Sung-tae
, Park Hae-soo
, Jung Ho-yeon
, Lee Jung-jae
, Kim Joo-ryoung
What Is ‘Squid Sport’ About?
For the unsubscribed, Squid Sport is a South Korean TV thriller collection impressed by the youngsters’s recreation of the identical identify. Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote, directed, and created the collection for Netflix, which launched in 2021 on the good time as the worldwide pandemic lockdown compelled everybody inside their properties. The premise considerations a prize-winning contest for 456 people in dire monetary straits, who should take part in a collection of harmful and infrequently lethal kids’s video games to win 45.6 billion South Korean received.
The pinnacle-spinning success of Squid Sport led to Netflix’s most-viewed collection in 94 international locations. The streamer immediately greenlit Seasons 2 and three concurrently, tasking Hwang with twice the artistic effort. In the meantime, immersive and interactive spin-off collection, video games, and artwork installations like Squid Sport: The Expertise, Squid Sport: The Problem, and Squid Sport: Virtuals continued to bolster the franchise’s reputation and drum up anticipation for extra of the principle collection.
Hwang Dong-Hyuk’s Publish ‘Squid Sport’ Expertise
Squid Sport creator Hwang spoke with Selection to advertise Season 2 and described how a lot of a toll Season 1 took on him and the way he by no means supposed to make Season 2, stating:
“I had no intention of doing a second season, as a result of the general strategy of writing, producing, and directing the collection was so difficult. I didn’t assume to do one other one.”
Hwang notoriously claimed he had misplaced eight or 9 tooth whereas toiling over the primary season. If true, it is comprehensible why he’d need to forestall such a extreme bodily toll by limiting the variety of Squid Video games seasons and episodes. Nevertheless, with the “immense success” of Season 1, Hwang discovered renewed vigor to create extra thrilling challenges for cash-strapped opponents.
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‘Squid Sport’ Creator Teases the Horror to Are available in Season 2
‘Squid Sport’ Season 2 is coming quickly, and showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk is teasing with a “crueler, scarier and extra ugly” return.
Though he did not undergo any dental points whereas making Seasons 2 and three, Hwang admitted to the bodily exhaustion and psychological price of continuous Squid Sport, including:
“I’m so exhausted. I’m so drained. In a manner, I’ve to say, I’m so sick of ‘Squid Sport. I’m so sick of my life making one thing, selling one thing. So I’m not occupied with my subsequent mission proper now. I’m simply occupied with going to some distant island and having my very own free time with none telephone calls from Netflix.”
Past the refreshing candor hardly ever heard from these selling their work, it appears like Hwang’s coronary heart is not within the franchise. If that is the case, ending Squid Sport earlier than it turns into too by-product, repetitive, boring, and uninspired could be far wiser than persevering with the present for money-making reputation.
Why Ending ‘Squid Sport’ After Season 2 Might Be a Good Factor
With Squid Sport Season 2 premiering, Hwang will proceed post-production work on Season 3, which is predicted to be launched in 2025. Whereas it is unlikely that he’ll pull the plug and stroll away from episodes which have already been shot, if the promotional marketing campaign turns into too insufferable, it is conceivable he’ll stay on the distant island he talked about as a much-needed getaway from the all-consuming franchise.
Whether or not Hwang stays or goes, it would not essentially be a foul factor if Squid Sport ended after Season 2. For a corporation constructed on binge-watching and accommodating amount over high quality, ending its most-viewed present earlier than it dramatically decreases in high quality would protect the integrity and dignity of Seasons 1 and a couple of. The choice would retain Squid Video games‘ reputational luster whereas concurrently displaying the streaming world that Netflix is not nearly logging as many viewership hours as potential and genuinely cares about crafting meritorious tasks that stand up to time.
Aside from his admission of exhaustion, Hwang additionally advised Selection that a number of extra Squid Video games tasks are in growth at Netflix, declaring:
“There are specific tasks which are at present being made the place they ask for my opinion a little bit bit extra actively. So so far as I do know, going ahead, there’s going to be much more artistic tasks that come from the ‘Squid Sport’ universe, a few of which I might be extra concerned in.”
Hwang’s busy schedule and excessive demand could turn into an excessive amount of to juggle, maybe resulting in Squid Sport being minimize brief. Nevertheless, star Lee Jung-jae, who performs Seong Gi-hun, teased the ending of Squid Sport (presumably Season 3), saying:
“The ending is one thing you actually can’t count on. I’m wanting ahead to what sort of interpretations viewers have.”
Sooner or later, Netflix dangers Squid Sport‘s diminishing artistic turns and should determine whether or not to exit on a excessive notice by leaving viewers wanting extra or sticking round far too lengthy to turn into a pathetic self-parody. It should get tougher and tougher to eclipse the present’s most ugly deaths, high-risk challenges, compelling drama, and in the end result in a watered-down model of the present followers know and love.
Whether or not Hwang turns into too sick and drained to ship Season 3 or stays on board for the foreseeable future, Netflix ought to finish Squid Sport whereas it is preserved in amber as certainly one of Netflix’s most profitable applications of all time. If not, Squid Sport is topic to being one other Netflix instance of amount trumping high quality. Squid Sport is accessible to stream on Netflix on Dec. 26.