Exploring the Cultural Phenomenon of Squid Game Season 2
One of the most influential television premieres in recent years is the series Squid Game in 2021, a surprising phenomenon that placed South Korean fiction in a privileged position in the global cultural heritage (months after Parasite won the Oscar for Best Picture). Even today, the series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk remains the most-watched production in Netflix history in the 91 days after its release, surpassing hits like Wednesday, Stranger Things, or Money Heist. The Machiavellian games that pitted the poor against the rich for entertainment have spawned an entire industry of merchandising, real-life events, and even a reality show. Now, over three years later, it will finally be crowned with a second season that promises to sweep the audience off their feet.
Insights into Squid Game Season 2
Three years have passed since Player 456 (Lee Jung-jae, recently seen in The Acolyte) won Squid Game, but after considering traveling to the United States to reunite with his daughter, he returns with a firm goal: to re-enter the macabre survival maze to save the lives of his comrades and stand against the directors. Seong Gi-hun is back in the game, facing new players in pursuit of a prize of 45.6 billion won in another life-or-death adventure. Some classics like Red Light, Green Light will return, as seen in the trailer.
No Ju-han/Netflix
While many of the protagonists from the first season perished (455 to be exact), returning characters in the series include the mysterious recruiter we saw at the airport in the last sequence (Gong Yoo); the game director (Lee Byung-hun) whom we will apparently get to know better through his past as a policeman, and detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). The new cast includes K-Pop star Yim Si-wan, along with Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an. However, Hoyeon will not be returning, as she has recently made the leap to Hollywood with Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer.
After winning six Emmy Awards for the first season, Hwang Dong-hyuk returns as the director, writer, and executive producer of the seven new episodes. Hwang has promised new games in this season designed, among other aspects, to allow the creator to benefit financially from the success of the first season. He admitted to the BBC that he only received a small portion of the monetary pie devoured by Netflix, without a bonus for the unexpected success that was paid for in advance. He never intended a second season, so why did he do it? “Money,” he confirmed unequivocally. While the first season did leave loose ends to be explained.
Noh Ju Han
Release Date
The second season of Squid Game will premiere on December 26th on the Netflix platform globally. You can check this date on our series calendar with all upcoming releases updated daily.
The first episode will be titled Bread and Lottery.
Will There Be a Third Season?
Yes, Netflix has confirmed that Squid Game will premiere its third and final season in 2025.
While waiting, in Madrid, you can experience some of the classic games from Squid Game, from petanque to musical chairs, in Squid Game: the experience, where no one dies in this interactive amusement.