During Netflix’s fourth-quarter earnings call (via Deadline), Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos has finally confirmed that creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s hit South Korean thriller Squid Game will “absolutely,” be back for a second season. Even though the renewal has already been previously teased by Hwang, this marks the first time that the streamer has officially addressed it.
In addition, Sarandos also went on to tease that “The Squid Game universe has just begun,” which might hint at the possibility that the streamer is potentially already planning spin-offs set within the thriller drama.
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Due to its critical and commercial success, the series had earned three Golden Globe nominations, South Korean veteran actor O Yeong-su winning Best Supporting Actor in a Series for his portrayal as Oh Il-nam/ Player 001. It also recently made history by becoming the first non-English show to receive four major SAG nominations including Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor for Lee Jung-jae, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor for Jung Ho-yeon, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, and Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble.
Squid Game hails from writer-director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, who is best known for his works on South Korean films as The Fortress, Miss Granny, and Silenced. It centers around a group of 456 cash-strapped players who accepted a strange invitation to compete in children’s games at a remote island in hopes of winning 456 billion won. However, they’ll soon find out that the prize comes with deadly high stakes.
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The series is led by acclaimed actors Lee Jung-Jae (Along with the Gods), Park Hae-Soo (Prison Playbook), Wi Ha-Joon (Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum), O Yeong-Su (God of War), Anupam Tripathi (Strangers From Hell), Heo Sung-Tae (Beyond Evil), Kim Joo-Ryoung (Andante), and model Jung Ho-Yeon in her acting TV debut.
Currently, Squid Game has now become Netflix’s biggest original series launch of all time. For its first four weeks, it has been watched by a whopping 142 million member households globally.
