Director Hwang Dong-hyuk teased ‘Squid Game Season 3’.

On the 2nd, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk met with Dong-a.com for an interview about the Netflix series ‘Squid Game Season 2 (hereafter referred to as Squid Game 2)” at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and talked about the series.

On this day, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said about Gong Yoo appearing in Season 2 following Season 1 and showing off his passionate acting, “In Season 1, Ttakji-nam appeared briefly, and people liked it compared to the amount of time. I wanted to tell the story of Ttakji-nam in Season 2. The only clue that Sung Ki-hoon was looking for was Ttakji-nam. I wanted to tell that story. I wanted to make the first episode where you can guess who this person is by giving clues. I wanted to include a story where you can guess the story. I heard that this is Gong Yoo‘s first villain role. In that sense, I thought it was refreshing. I tried to portray Gong Yoo’s Ttakji-nam in a grotesque way in the script, but he showed something beyond my imagination on set. That‘s why I was surprised. The cinematographer also used red lighting well, so it felt perfect. The gun in the mouth was Gong Yoo’s ad-lib. He also explained, ”I thought, ‘Did something like this exist?’“



Also, there was news earlier that Leonardo DiCaprio would appear in ‘Squid Game 3’. Regarding this, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk drew the line, saying, ”No. That‘s groundless. I think it’s because our jokes got distorted. I know that DiCaprio is a fan of ‘Squid Game’, but I can tell you clearly that he will not be appearing in it.“

Also, regarding ‘Squid Game 2’ being nominated for Best Television Series at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said, ”I‘m leaving tomorrow. When I split one story into two, I had some expectations when I wrote it as one. When I split it in the middle, I emptied my mind a bit. As for the story that ends in the middle. Since the narrative and the story are not complete, I wasn’t expecting much from the awards ceremony. So when I was told that I had won, I was surprised. I was grateful for that alone. In fact, I don‘t expect to win an award. It seems unreasonable to expect an award for Season 2. That’s why I didn‘t prepare an acceptance speech. I think that just going there is meaningful, so I find meaning in participating,“ he said.

In particular, when it was said that ‘Squid Game 2’ reflects the current state of Korean society, Director Hwang Dong-hyeok said, ”The Korean society that I see now is in conflict. The line drawn by the police in front of the Yongsan government office was exactly like the Squid Game. I thought it was so scary and sad that reality was becoming too similar.“

Lastly, Director Hwang Dong-hyeok said about ‘Squid Game Season 3’, which is scheduled to be released this year, ”Season 3 will feature another game. And it’s going to be a bit shocking. I wanted to show the bottom that a person can go to. There are a lot of scenes with strong emotional shock compared to seasons 1 and 2, so I hope you prepare yourself mentally and watch it,“ he said.

Meanwhile, ‘Squid Game 2’, released on December 26, 2024, tells the story of Ki-hoon (played by Lee Jung-jae), who vows revenge and returns to the game, and the fierce confrontation between the frontman (played by Lee Byung-hun) who greets him, and the real game starting again.

Choi Yoon-na, Donga.com reporter yyynnn@donga.com