New cast members from Netflix Original Squid Game Season 2, Jo Yu-ri, Yang Dong-geun, Park Sung-hoon, and Yim Si-wan (from the left) Courtesy of Netflix

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The second season of the eagerly anticipated Netflix original series “The Squid Game” is set to premiere on December 26. The series, which has been building anticipation for the past year by releasing small snippets of the new season under tight security, has been particularly notable for its award-worthy cast.

Season 2 of “The Squid Game” follows Sung Ki-hoon (Lee Jung-jae), who won 45.6 billion won as the last man standing in a high-stakes survival game, as he enters the game once again three years later. The follow-up comes three years and three months after the first season premiered.

Based on the information released so far, the new season will feature Lee Jung-jae as protagonist Sung Ki-hoon, as well as Lee Byung-hun as “Frontman,” Gong Yoo as “Ddakji man,” and Hwang Joon-ho as “Wi Ha-joon.” The big names will fill the shoes of major characters who died in the previous season, including Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) and Kang Sae-byeok(Jung Ho-yeon). Lee Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Lee Jin-wook, Park Gyu-young, and Park Sung-hoon have already announced their participation. All of them are popular actors who lead movies and dramas. In addition, Yang Dong-geun, Choi Seung-hyun (Top), Cho Yu-ri, Noh Jae-won, and Chae Gook-hee are also on the cast list. Most of these actors have been confirmed as game participants through trailers, but some of them, such as Lee Jin-wook and Park Kyu-young, are still under wraps as to which character they are playing.

The colorful cast is notable because the new season will focus on the relationships between the contestants. Season 2 will feature many people who have known each other in real life or have special relationships. In the recently released official trailer, “No. 390” contestant Jung Bae (Lee Seo-hwan), a friend who gambled on horse races with protagonist Ki-hoon in the first season, appears. Other contestants in the game are expected to intertwine in various relationships, including former lovers, mothers and sons, and army seniors and juniors. These relationships will serve as a device to emphasize the tragedy of the “live by others' deaths” survival game.

Season 2 has also been mired in controversy due to its casting. The casting of Choi Seung-hyun, who was sentenced to probation in 2017 for inhaling marijuana, sparked controversy when it was announced last year. “I didn't expect it to be so controversial,” said director Hwang Dong-hyuk at a press conference for Season 2 of “The Squid Game” at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on August 1. “The actor himself showed strong will, effort, and talent, and I will show the viewers why I had to work with him.”

Hwang also shared some behind-the-scenes details about the new season and the production process. The event, which was attended by Hwang and production company First Man Studio CEO Kim Ji-yeon, marked the 100th day since the embargo was lifted.

Hwang said the biggest difference in the new season is that “Ki-hoon enters the game with a clear purpose.” In the previous season, Ki-hoon entered the game with a lot of debt. A preview video released in February showed him warning the frontman over the receiver, “I'm going to find you, no matter what,” he said.

One of the best parts of “The Squid Game” is the wacky games that appear at every stage. Korean games such as “Dalgona Picking” have traveled around the world thanks to the drama. That is why we are excited to see what the new season will bring. The trailer for Season 2 shows “Red Light, Green Light” as the first game, just like last season. The girl doll with pigtails that shoots mercilessly is still there. Hwang was coy about the specific types of games but dropped a hint.

“There will be unique Korean games, games from around the world, and some adaptations, but unlike season one, there will be quite a few games that require cooperation, and most importantly, there will be a lot of games where you can influence each other, which will lead to a dramatic story.”

“The Squid Game” will follow Season 2 in December with the release of Season 3 in 2025. It is the most popular series of all time, so there is already anticipation for a fourth season. But Hwang drew a line in the sand. “We shot 200 episodes in 11 months. It's so hard, I don't think I can do it again right now,” he says, adding, “I've said everything I want to say. I think season 3 is the finale,” he said. He also expressed his desire to do a theatrical movie next.

The box office of “The Squid Game” benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic, which was in full swing at the time of its release. While Hwang is concerned about the changing content landscape, he is also confident about the new season.

“It's the age of short form, and there are a lot of competitors, so I know it's not easy. But it's more advanced than season 1. Its depth and complexity are enhanced, and I think we can be satisfied with the quality of the work and accept the consequences even if it gets bad scores.”



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