We have officially entered the fourth quarter of 2023, and with it, we are snowballing towards the two-year anniversary of Netflix’s most popular South Korean thriller, Squid Game, which will be officially marked on September 17. The thriller indubitably captured the tone of the age, with its encompassing survival theme, which constantly oscillates between the yeets and the yeeted.
The moment Squid Game received a green flag in 2022 for the second season, the fans of the thriller have been perched on the edge of their seats, anticipating its arrival on Netflix, to experience the chill run through their spin all over again. However, with the recent dual strike and all the uncertainty that followed, people are keeping their fingers crossed for their shows to come back and not suffer the curse of getting canceled.
And the fans of Squid Game are no different. So, if you, too, have been worrying about the latest season, we are here to put an end to it. Squid Game Season 2 is not canceled and there are no chances that it will ever get canceled. So, you take a sigh of relief. However, unfortunately, fans would have to contain their brimming excitement for the second season, which might not stream on Netflix in 2023 at all.
For those unversed, Squid Game constitutes a high-stakes game where 456 people compete to survive. These games are exaggerated versions of the classical Korean kids’ games, staking the lives of the participants to win an exorbitant prize pot. With the prize destined to be bestowed in the hands of only one winner among 456, things are bound to get beastly, and relationships are fated to falter. It took the show’s creator, Emmy winner Hwang Dong-hyuk 6 months to write the first two episodes of Squid Game.
With that being said, fans are left to wonder about the release date of Squid Game. Given the ongoing strikes, we have lost all hope that it will be released in 2023 all. It will indeed be a long wait for the fans, but in the meantime, here are some of the latest updates regarding Squid Game season 2.
Squid Game Season 2: All the latest updates compiled
Recently, during Netflix’s TUDUM: Global Fan Event, the streaming giant revealed who will be returning to reprise their roles for Squid Game season 2. The streaming service also shared a short video, which is posted to Instagram. This short teaser confirmed the arrival of Lee Jung-Jae, who would reprise Seong Gi-hun, Lee Byung-hun, who would reprise his role as Front Man, and Wi Ha-jun as police detective Jun-ho.
Joining this coterie is Train to Busan lead Gong Yoo as the Recruiter, aka “The man in the suit with ddakji.”
Satiating the excitement of the fans, the short video also introduces us to “the new players” as they individually appear on the screen. The first is Unlocked’ star, singer, and actor Yim Si-wan, and then we are introduced to Kang Ha-nuel, Park Sung-hoon, and Yang Dong-geun. At the time of writing this article, Netflix has not revealed which characters these new additions will be donning.
Despite the fans’ growing excitement about the new casting announcements, they were smart to point out the paucity of any women in the casting team.
Addressing the backlash, Netflix appeases the fans by saying that season two’s leading ladies will be announced in the future. A Netflix spokesperson told Insider, “This was the first cast announcement for Squid Game season two. We’re excited to share more casting news soon, which will include the leading female characters.”
These updates, however, are dated back a few months. In recent weeks, there has been a paucity of updates on all the high-grossing shows on Netflix, presumably owing to the ongoing strikes that have postponed the production schedules indefinitely.
When will Squid Game season 2 arrive on Netflix?
Earlier, while speaking to Ilgan Sports, star Lee Jung-jae, who plays Seong Gi-hun, shared that Squid Game season 2 will begin filming this summer. However, you can take this crumb of information as a cushion to the main blow, which, according to the star, is that the second season might take even longer to film than season one because (deep breaths) it’s going to be grander and more thrilling than its predecessor.
We presume that the show will take at least 10 months or even longer for production since it took 10 months for the first season to complete production. Not only that, but add six months for post-production and promotion. Based on this analysis, we expect the second season of Squid Game season 2 to arrive on Netflix in 2025.
Be that as it may, there is no official word regarding how the two major strikes that have shut down the production schedules of Outer Banks season 4, Stranger Things, The Sandman season 2, and more will affect Squid Game season 2.
Side note: As per the controversial reports, the actors are allegedly put under strenuous conditions for the filming of Squid Game season 2. Be that as it may, Netflix stands opposed to these claims.
Studio Lambert, The Garden, and Netflix said in a joint statement: “We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures. While it was very cold on set – and participants were prepared for that – any claims of serious injury are untrue.” (via Digital Spy)
What to expect from Squid Game season 2?
Season one, unfortunately, turned into a maelstrom of violence and gory, leading to the death of a majority of characters. This despair was echoed in the statement made by the show’s creator who, while renewing the show for the second season, said to Reuters:
“So many characters died, especially beloved ones died. I’m sorry I killed them so easily; I didn’t know this was coming…I want to revive Ji-young, but her best friend Sae-byeok also died, so I’m thinking what to do.”
In September 2022, Dong-hyuk shared an unreleased clip from season one, which instantly took flight on the internet. Described as “the shocking reveal of Front Man” by Netflix, in the video, a man is seen carrying a bag of goldfish before the camera zooms on his face.
What does the goldfish signify? Only season 2 can tell.
No matter what happens in Squid Game season 2, in addition to “a whole new round” of games, we contend that the upcoming installment of this South Korean thriller will advertently foreground the Frontman. In an interview with The Times, Dong-hyuk said, “While I was writing Season 1, I thought about the stories that could be in Season 2 if I get to do one — one would be the story of the Frontman.”
Elsewhere, in conversation with E! News, he disclosed that he already has a “set outline”, saying, “I have a treatment of a whole Season 2 episode with new games and new characters. I like it. I think it’s good. It’s better than what I expected.”
On March 19th, 2022, Hwang unraveled what could go down in season 2 while in conversation with Deadline. Hwang said:
“There will be more great games, that’s all I can say. I’m just still brainstorming and collecting the ideas for Season 2. I haven’t even started with the writing yet.”
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the creator Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed the possible tangents the brand new season of this adrenaline-hitting, thrill-rushing series could offer. He said:
“But there are some other stories in the series that have not been addressed. For example, the story of the police officer and the story of his brother, the Front Man. So if I end up creating season two, I’d like to explore that storyline — what is going on between those two brothers? And then I could also go into the story of that recruiter in the suit who plays the game of ddakji with Gi-hun and gives him the card in the first episode. And, of course, we could go with Gi-hun’s story as he turns back, and explore more about how he’s going to navigate through his reckoning with the people who are designing the games. So, I don’t know yet, but I’ll just say there are a lot of possibilities out there for season two storylines.”
Are there new cast members joining Squid Game season 2?
Recently, TVLine reported the addition of new cast members joining the coterie of this South Korean thriller series, including the likes of:
- Park Gyu-young
- Jo Yu-ri
- Kang Ae-sim
- Lee David
- Lee Jin-uk
- Choi Seung-hyun
- Roh Jae-won
- Won Ji-an
With that said, stay tuned to Web News Observer for more details regarding Squid Game season 2!
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many episodes will be constituted in Squid Game season 2?
There is no official announcement regarding the episode count of Squid Game season 2 as of yet. However, season one consisted of nine episodes, which were written and directed by the creator Hwang, each approximately running for 32 to 63 minutes. Additionally, Hwang, who bagged an Emmy for directing season one’s “Red Light, Green Light” episode, is all set to direct the episodes of the second season as well.
- Will the creepy doll be back in Squid Game season 2?
At the time of writing this article, no word has been released for the re-appearance of the bone-chilling Young-hee. Fortunately, the series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, has promised to introduce her boyfriend, Cheol-su, in Squid Game season 2.
- Will there be a Squid Game season 3?
Squid Game season two renewal led to the emergence of rumors concerning the release of the third season. Interestingly, the creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk joked with IndieWire that he wanted to bring Leonardo DiCaprio in for season 3.
Be that as it may, Netflix has not officially announced the renewal of Squid Game season 3. However, if we use our brains for a second here, then a third season of this bone-chilling thriller does not seem far-fetched. There are very few shows that have been successful in dethroning Squid Game from its royal seat. So, if you take a bird’s eye view of the situation, then not only a third season but many more of Squid Game is what we expect. What do you think?