'Squid Game' Fans, You'll Want to Read These Wild Details About Season 2's Plot and Cast
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Squid Game fans, get ready for another round because season 2 is a go!
Fans were left on a major cliffhanger in the season 1 finale after the show's main character, Seong Gi-hun (played by breakout star Lee Jung-jae), seemingly challenged the shadowy faction behind the show's titular children's game. Rather than enjoy his lofty ₩45 billion cash prize, it seems Gi-hun is dead set on getting revenge for the atrocities he witnessed during his time on the show's remote island setting — and potentially honoring the memory of Sae-Byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), the scrappy pickpocket who fought hard to be among the final three-game contestants.
Initially, the show's writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk had maintained that he didn't have any plans for a second season of Squid Game, per Vulture. But after becoming Netflix's most popular show ever, it seems that the creator began thinking twice about the potential of revisiting how Gi-hun will tackle the secret organization behind the deadly game and to think of a few new ways to expand the universe of Squid Game, given that many beloved characters in the show's first season were killed off.
It also doesn't look like the show's success is stopping any time soon. During the 2022 Emmy nominations, Squid Game made history by becoming the first non-English language series to score nods Best Drama Series and Best Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae. In total, Squid Game is up for 14 nominations at the 2022 Emmy Awards, up against Netflix's Stranger Things, Ozark and others.
If you're wondering what the future holds after last season's dramatic wrap-up, here's everything we know so far about a potential season 2 of the Korean scripted drama series.
Has Squid Game been renewed for a second season?
Squid Game season 2 is officially happening.
In January, Netflix coCEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos announced the news while the streaming service was conducting its fourth quarter 2021 earnings interview. When asked if the Korean survival thriller would be coming back for a second installment, he said: “Absolutely. The Squid Game universe has just begun.”
Before this formal confirmation from Netflix, Hwang shared that he was all in for another chapter. Speaking with the Associated Press in early November 2021, the Squid Game creator was thrilled by the incredible global response and felt it was only right to do so.
“There’s been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season. So I almost feel like you leave us no choice!” he told the outlet. “But I will say there will indeed be a second season. It’s in my head right now. I’m in the planning process currently.”
Does Squid Game season 2 have an official release date?
Yes and no. In May, Hwang spoke to Vanity Fair about the current status of the highly anticipated second season. According to the creator, fans can expect Squid Game season 2 to be released between the end of 2023 and sometime in 2024.
In the meantime, Netflix shared the below season 2 announcement video — and it's haunting to say the least.
There is one catch: So far, Hwang only has about three pages of ideas in the works. But given that the show was almost not made, we're sure fans will hang in tight until new episodes debut. The Wall Street Journal even reported in October 2021 that the show's genius had written most of Squid Game over a decade ago but studios had largely rejected the idea for the better part of 10 years before Netflix purchased it in 2019.
What could the second season of Squid Game be about?
In October 2021, Hwang revealed he has been thinking about potential storylines for another season of Squid Game and detailed his plans in an interview with The Times. Clearly, it's a strong possibility that we'll see Gi-hun confront and investigate the cult-like organization behind the Squid Game itself, including the nefarious masked "Front Man" (Lee Byung-hun) who shot his own brother Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). Since the cliffhanger episode had Gi-hun answering a call about the next round of games, fans have picked up an implication he may try to infiltrate the arena as previous characters did in season 1.
While fans of the show easily became invested in how and why Jun-ho infiltrated the Squid Game to locate his missing brother, the show never revealed how the Front Man came to be in the first place. Nor did the show confirm that Jun-ho really died when he fell off the cliff after being shot by the Front Man.
It seems that the show's director does want to take a closer look at the Front Man in a second season. "If I do get to do one — one would be the story of the Front Man [a former cop who now oversees the game]. I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea," Hwang told The Times. "This was an issue that I wanted to raise. Maybe in season two I can talk about this more."
Most recently, he offered more concrete answers to some of our burning questions. In June, he released a statement via Netflix about what fans could look forward to. "It took 12 years to bring the first season of Squid Game to life last year," Hwang said in the note. "But it took 12 days for Squid Game to become the most popular Netflix series ever. As the writer, director, and producer of Squid Game, a huge shout out to fans around the world. Thank you for watching and loving our show."
He continued: "Now, Gi-hun returns. The Front Man returns. Season 2 is coming. The man in the suit with ddakji might be back. You’ll also be introduced to Young-hee’s boyfriend, Cheol-su. Join us once more for a whole new round."
Whoa. Those are definitely some juicy deets, and we want more info ASAP. But there's one person who's not into knowing anything about the upcoming season: Lee Jung-jae. In a July interview with IndieWire, he spoke about his preference of no spoilers, especially as he gets access to new scripts.
"Yes, I’m dying to know as well!" he told the outlet. "But I’m trying not to ask the director any questions because I have to have that very striking feeling when I read the script for the first time to be able to translate that intense emotion into my performance. So I’m just waiting until that moment when I get the script."
No matter what creative direction Hwang decides to go with, be prepared to see characters question their personal solidarities — to others and to themselves. "I want to ask the question, ‘Is true solidarity between humans possible?’" he told Vanity Fair in May. "If they were capable of talking with one another, of cooperating with one another, I do agree that there could have been a possibility that we could have seen more winners.”
Who would be in the second season of Squid Game?
This may be the easiest question fans can get answers on at the moment, as Squid Game killed off many of its characters throughout season 1. As of right now, we know the show's lead star Lee Jung-jae and antagonist Lee Byung-hun are the only ones confirmed to be returning for Squid Game season 2. Hwang revealed this news for Lee in November 2021, but admitted that he didn't know the character's next move.
“I do think it’s too early to say when and how that’s going to happen," he told the Associated Press. "So I will promise you this, Gi-hun will come back. He will do something for the world.
COMEBACK SQUID: Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director, creator, writer of #SquidGame says the show will be back with more Gi-hun adventures. pic.twitter.com/uqC1DIdZqy
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) November 9, 2021
As for the rest of the Squid Game season 2 cast, don't rule out anyone just yet. In a March interview with Deadline, Hwang had some ideas for the new season and it may just have old characters coming back in unique ways. "No, because most of them are dead,” Hwang said when asked about season 1 characters potentially making a reappearance. “I’ll try something to bring them back to Season 2.”
If there is a chance that the show's developers work in prequel scenes or flashbacks throughout season 2, here's who is likely to return:
Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun
Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man
Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho
Park Hye-jin as Cho Sang-Woo's mother
Park Si-wan as Kang Cheol
How can I watch and stream Squid Game?
You can head on over to Netflix to watch season 1 of Squid Game. Anyone can stream the show through the Netflix website or the Netflix app, which works on a multitude of smart devices with streaming capabilities, including iPhone, Android, Roku, Apple TV or Amazon's Fire TV. If you're new to Netflix, sign up for a plan starting at $9.99 monthly.
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