It’s official: ‘Squid Game 2’ is happening

MANILA, Philippines – Let the (squid) games begin! It’s official: Netflix’s megahit Korean survival thriller series Squid Game is getting a second season, Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos confirmed.

According to Variety and Deadline, Sarandos was asked during an interview on Netflix’s 2021 4th quarter earnings if the highly successful dystopian drama would be returning.

“Absolutely,” Sarandos said, saying that “the Squid Game universe has just begun.” No further details on the possible plot, production timeline, cast, or release date have been discussed.

Sarandos also said that Squid Game is part of Netflix’s entertainment franchises that have “growth potential” outside of the streaming service, which includes live events, games, and merchandise.

In November 2021, Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk had already expressed confidence that his wildly popular show would return for a second season.

“We are in the talks for season two. It’s all in my head. I have the basic storyline, the broad plan, so we’re in the brainstorming stages. I’m going to go ahead and say there will be a second season, but as for when, I cannot tell you now,” he said. Back then, Dong-hyuk already confirmed that Lee Jung-jae, who plays protagonist Seong Gi-hun, would be returning “to do something about this world.”

The nine-part thriller, in which cash-strapped contestants play childhood games with deadly consequences in a bid to win 45.6 billion won ($38 million), has become a worldwide sensation for Netflix since its launch in September 2021. It was Netflix’s biggest original series launch and is the streaming giant’s number one most-viewed TV series to date, with over 1.6 billion hours of streaming and a global audience of over 142 million households.

Squid Game, which also stars Hoyeon Jung, Wi Ha-joon, O Yeong-su, Anupam Tripathi, and Park Hae-soo, won a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series for O Yeong-su, who played Oh Il-nam, the elderly underdog player. The series was also nominated for Best Television Series (Drama) and Best Performance by an Actor for Lee Jung-jae at the Globes, and won two Gotham Awards for Breakthrough Series and Outstanding Performance (Lee Jung-jae).

Squid Game also made history at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards for being the first non-English-language series to be nominated for Best Cast in a Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae, Best Actress in a Drama Series for Hoyeon Jung, and Best Stunt Ensemble for a Drama Series. – Rappler.com