## Interviews: The Creator and Stars of *Squid Game 2* Discuss the Highly Anticipated New Season
The popularity of the Korean series *Squid Game* was unparalleled when the first season debuted in 2021. Since then, the K-drama has remained a hot topic, especially following the announcement of a second season. With *Squid Game 2* hitting Netflix the day after Christmas, fans will finally discover the new games and how the return of Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun will impact The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and the competition’s organizers.
I had the opportunity to interview the stars and creator of *Squid Game 2* before its Netflix premiere. Please note that some answers may contain spoilers for *Squid Game 2*, so proceed with caution.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who wrote and directed all seven episodes of this season, already has plans for a third season, while Netflix aims to develop the series into a full franchise. I asked the director about potential international versions of *Squid Game* in the form of spin-offs. He responded:
“It would be great if each of the other countries could take it up for themselves. I don’t think it will be easy for me to travel to these countries and create their versions of *Squid Game*. I feel like the most fitting version of *Squid Game* for each country would best be done by their local creators. So my personal hope is that we would get a different version of *Squid Game* for each of the different countries by their local creators. That’d be great.”
Returning star Lee Jung-jae, reprising his role as Gi-hun (Player 456), faced the challenge of portraying the only contestant with prior competition experience. I inquired about the difficulty of depicting a darker Gi-hun:
“Yes, it was much more challenging for me to portray the darker Gi-hun because you can’t be so expressive when you’re a darker character. He was always tense in season two, always focused on achieving his only one goal of, you know, saving people and putting an end to the game. So I thought, what would make me look very grounded? I try to put myself in his shoes, but I am the only one who plays him. So, who can I ask for more advice? So that was the hard part, but I thought that because his only goal in season two was to make it out alive with his contestants. Understanding the other characters’ backstories better and deeper would help me because I realized that while he is a darker character, he is a very altruistic character, so when I understood that, that made it easier for me to portray this character.”
New cast member Jo Yu-ri, who plays Kim Jun-hee (Player 222), also shared her experience joining a series with a massive global fanbase and high expectations:
“Season one was such a huge success commercially and in terms of impact. And I was a huge fan of season one. I was actually one of those fans who was waiting for the announcement of season two. So, when I first heard that I had this offer from the team, I couldn’t really believe it. At first, it didn’t feel real.”
*Squid Game 2* is packed with action, setting the stage for a potential third season. With the entire season premiering during the holiday season, expect considerable discussion in the coming weeks.
*Squid Game 2* premieres on December 26th on Netflix.
About the Author: Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com’s primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.
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