When Hwang Dong-hyuk announced that the global smash series Squid Game would return for a second season, he noted: “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.” That stretch of time was marred with stress for the writer-director, but it didn't culminate in a significant enough payday for him to afford to walk away from an offer for a second round in the games.
“Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly, I didn't make much,” Hwang told BBC. “So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too… and I didn't fully finish the story.”
He lost eight or nine teeth while creating the first season, an effect of the stress he was under. Now, following up on that history-making debut, Hwang said, “The stress I feel is much greater.” He added: “I haven't seen my dentist yet, but I'll probably have to pull out a few more very soon.” Season Two premieres Dec. 26.
The creator has previously stated that Squid Game was influenced by his personal experience during the global financial crisis in 2009, during which his family faced significant financial strains. When the show was praised for its profound commentary on capitalism, he maintained that his depiction of modern capitalism isn't all that complex to anyone truly paying attention.
Hwang didn't receive a bonus from Netflix when Squid Game exploded in 2021. A representative for Netflix told BBC that its competitive compensation model guarantees “solid compensation, regardless of the success or failure of their shows.” Still, Squid Game is estimated to be valued at $900 million, according to a June 2023 report from the Los Angeles Times, but Hwang allegedly “forfeited all intellectual property rights and received no residuals” from the show.
And because the wheel of capitalism keeps turning, the brutal show was turned into a franchise that includes a reality series that brought the games to life. Unsurprisingly, contestants claimed the show was “rigged” and “cruel.” It's unclear whether Hwang would have wanted to be involved in that anyway, even for a chance at earning more money. He hasn't seemed to stray from the prevailing moral messaging of his original idea.
“When making this series, I constantly asked myself, 'Do we humans have what it takes to steer the world off this downhill path?' Honestly, I don't know,” he told BBC. “New lines are being drawn. We're in an era of us vs them. Who's right and who's wrong?”
