Creator Talks Gi-Hun’s Death, Spinoff Potential

[This story contains MAJOR spoilers from the Squid Game season three finale, “Humans are…”]

Nobody has extra anticipation across the launch of the ultimate season of Squid Sport than its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk.

“For the previous six years, there hasn’t been a single day that glided by with out me enthusiastic about Squid Sport,” says the author and director of each episode of Netflix‘s most globally well-liked present of all time. “That is one thing that has utterly consumed me.”

After launching with season one in 2021 to international enchantment, it was a no brainer for Hwang and Netflix to proceed their partnership. Seasons two and three had been made again to again, with the second season launching six months in the past earlier than the third and ultimate season now releasing on Friday with the South Korean dystopian drama’s ultimate six episodes. There are experiences that filmmaker David Fincher is creating an English-language spinoff for Netflix, although sources inform The Hollywood Reporter that Squid Sport‘s ending (which features a final-scene cameo from a previous Fincher collaborator, described under) shouldn’t be meant to arrange any future tales “at the moment.”

As Hwang had promised, the ultimate episodes do conclude the story of his protagonist, reluctant hero Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the indebted father who received the lethal Squid Video games in season one and returned to take them down in seasons two and three. Regardless of his valiant efforts, nevertheless, Gi-hun doesn’t make it out of this story alive. As a substitute he sacrifices himself so the new child child of one other participant, Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), can survive. The infant — whose mom and father, Lee Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan), aka Participant 333, each died through the video games — finally takes on his mom’s position as Participant 222 and wins the Video games.

The duality of bleakness and hope within the ending of Hwang’s anti-capitalist thriller leaves viewers with a lot to consider, particularly with the ultimate scene of the sequence that includes a shock cameo from Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett because the Recruiter for an American model of the Squid Video games. The scene both shuts the e book on the story by making the cyclical level that the Video games will go on, or opens the mega-successful franchise to proceed on with a doable continuation spinoff sequence. (Netflix has not but commented.)

Under, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Hwang through a translator after watching the primary 5 episodes of the ultimate season (the finale was not screened forward of time for press) to speak about Squid Sport‘s ultimate, well timed message and doable future, whereas additionally revealing what he struggled with essentially the most in crafting Gi-hun’s ending: “If season three is met with as a lot love as individuals cherished season one, then I believe I’m undoubtedly going to really feel much less empty about saying goodbye,” he says.

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In our 2024 The Hollywood Reporter cowl story forward of season two, you attributed the mass enchantment of your Korean sequence to the remainder of the world discovering these characters and their tales to be distinctive. How did you lean into that when making seasons two and three again to again?

I don’t know if I used to be conscious of what to lean into notably, however as a result of so many individuals cherished the story and the characters in season one, that have gave me lots of confidence. I believe I used to be extra conscious, if not anxious, about how different individuals had been going to react to the story after I was creating season one. However in seasons two and three, primarily based on that basis that I had gained via the success of the primary season and the entire love, I used to be capable of inform the story the best way I wished to inform it.

You additionally stated that seasons two and three, and notably the brand new voting side with the Os vs. the Xs, was impressed by the path the world was stepping into on the time. I felt continuously dissatisfied that the Os all the time received — regardless of how dangerous the Video games acquired, they voted to proceed taking part in. What are you saying about trendy society with the vast majority of the gamers voting for their very own demise?

Not too long ago, whether or not it’s inside Korea or in America, issues that I’ve gone via, both straight myself or occasions that I learn or hear via the information, it appears to me that around the globe, the battle that begins due to election and votes is simply getting worse. It’s exacerbated. Elections have all the time put a divide amongst individuals. We choose sides and we undergo conflicts throughout elections. Nevertheless, I believe prior to now, as much as some time limit, we tried to not less than pay attention to at least one one other. I believe we had extra tolerance of one another.

Nevertheless lately, I don’t assume that’s the case. The battle and divide that comes from taking totally different sides in an election is turning into an increasing number of extremist, the place individuals now not assume that different individuals will be totally different from you. It’s extra of, “I’m proper, and all of you might be fallacious.” And it additionally results in lots of violence. On prime of that, there’s a lot populism and propaganda, in addition to AI-generated faux information and an algorithm-based consumption of reports. All of that results in lots of extremist considering, and so many individuals are misled due to these issues. I wished to mirror all of those present occasions in Squid Sport.

It was equally disturbing to observe the VIPs delight within the tragedy of the Video games this season. Why did you wish to return to the VIPs and deal with them extra in season three?

You’re proper that the position of the VIPs has gotten larger in comparison with season one. Right here is the place I used to be coming from: Up to now, the people who find themselves symbolized via the VIPs had been backstage, proper? They had been veiled and hidden whereas controlling politics and society. Nevertheless, I really feel like an increasing number of lately, the individuals who do the controlling rise above the floor extra. They let individuals know that they’re backing [whatever it is] they’re paying the cash for and financing these choices.

Up to now, the VIPS had been hidden. However lately, and I believe that is extra so in America than in Korea but additionally true in Korea, they turn into a lot extra apparent. They reveal themselves, letting individuals know that they’re those in management and those in energy. I wished to discover that slightly bit. And I believe that’s a reference to the anti-oligarchy actions and the best way the discourse is going on lately.

You raised the stakes by not solely having a really pregnant participant (Jun-hee), however then having her new child child formally be a part of the Video games. I believe all of us felt safe that the present wouldn’t kill off a pregnant girl. However after she had the newborn, we noticed her make this self-sacrifice the place she killed herself to present her baby a greater probability. Going into the finale, viewers remained nervous in regards to the destiny of this child. Did this storyline really feel like a threat? What does the newborn signify?

Since it’s the finale, I assumed that elevating the stakes and taking a much bigger threat in true Squid Sport vogue was the precise method to go. By way of that, I wished to reveal to a good a extra correct diploma the rock-bottom of humanity and in addition make clear even brighter hope. I imagine that via the newborn, Gi-hun is ready to present these themes in a extra detailed means.

I imagine that each one of us are capable of stay on this world the best way we do because of the efforts and struggles that our earlier era went via with a purpose to give us a greater world. And the explanation we have to attempt to proper the course of the world is as a result of we wish to give a greater world to our future era. So in our story, the newborn not solely represents human conscience, but additionally the long run era for whom we have to repair the best way we’re.

You stated going into season two that this third season would deliver in regards to the conclusion of Gi-hun’s story. We’ve watched for 3 seasons the evolution of his character, and we see how damaged down he’s by the top. What was the largest problem in determining how you can finish his story?

The largest problem I might say was, how far did I would like I wish to throw Gi-hun down the pit, after which from the place do I make him stand up once more?

On the finish of season two, he fails the rebel. He loses the those that he had gone to rebel with, together with, in fact, his greatest pal. However I wished to dig even deeper than that in season three. The method of Gi-hun’s arc the place that immense quantity of guilt that he carries and all of that tragedy via the rebel, it simply utterly consumes him and he can not take it any longer. So he initiatives that immense guilt onto this character Dae-ho [Player 388], who didn’t return with the ammo [during the rebellion]. Gi-hun struggles with a purpose to escape this immense sense of guilt and that leads him to, as you see in [episode two during Hide and Seek], kill somebody for the primary time, primarily based on his guilt. Which means now there’s blood in Gi-hun’s palms. He commits an irreconcilable authentic sin.

And so depicting and writing the method of that character arc the place Gi-hun is in that state and the way he comes again from that? That was the largest problem. That was what I struggled essentially the most with. As for what I got here what I got here up with, hopefully after watching the complete present, the viewers will perceive and assist the conclusion.

You provided up some spinoff concepts beforehand. You’ve talked about desirous to revisit the time hole between seasons one and two, and presumably discover backstories for different gamers and guards. Do you are feeling that the present ends in a means that would arrange a continuation spinoff, or are you extra eager about touring again in time when you did proceed this franchise?

I believe the story led to a way the place it doesn’t want an extra story to be advised. So I’m not too eager about telling a narrative that continues on from the conclusion. If I had been to do a derivative sometime, I believe I might somewhat select to return and see what occurred throughout that point hole [between seasons one and two]. However that is one thing that we’re simply tossing round, in order for when or how a derivative may come about, it’s nonetheless up within the air.

I do know you misplaced a number of enamel when making season one because of the strain, and I learn that you simply misplaced two extra enamel because of the stress of creating this ultimate season. The finale was so secretive that it was held again from press forward of launch. How difficult has it been so that you can preserve this all a secret, and the way are you feeling now that you simply’re lastly capable of launch the ultimate season?

As you stated, there have been so many secrets and techniques. There have been rumors about leaks, typically faux information, all of which I continuously get on social media and test and observe up on. I personally acquired so many questions from individuals round me. Individuals would ask me, “What occurs to Gi-hun? What occurs to those characters? What video games are going to be there? Simply say sure or no.” (Laughs.)

So to be free from all of that concern and burden, I do really feel relieved. However as we’re releasing the present and saying goodbye, for the previous six years, there hasn’t been a single day that glided by with out me enthusiastic about Squid Sport. That is one thing that has utterly consumed me for the previous six years. So to know that I’ve to say goodbye, I admit, I do have the sense of just about a loss, or I really feel fairly empty, to be trustworthy. However I hope that if season three is met with as a lot love as individuals cherished season one, then I believe I’m undoubtedly going to really feel much less empty about saying goodbye.

The Soar Rope recreation felt like a personality this season; it was so visceral watching that recreation. Was that one thing you had been proud to have completed once you look again at season three?

It wasn’t as arduous to write down the sport Soar Rope, however it was undoubtedly one of many more durable ones to movie. Within the writing course of, essentially the most difficult had been the fourth and sixth video games [Hide and Seek and Sky Squid Game], due to their psychological side. Soar Rope was comparatively simpler to write down. However then as soon as I had the actors up there on set, we needed to be sure that everyone jumped on the similar beat. There was lots of CGI concerned so as to add the sense of peak, in addition to have the rope. Then on prime of that, we had to make use of lots of sound results for the rope. So talking of manpower and simply the period of time we spent in creating it, it took a lot extra to create Soar Rope. I believe this recreation could also be visceral, as you set it, as a result of it actually requires all 5 senses to see what’s happening. I hope the viewers finds it very thrilling.

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The ultimate season of Squid Sport is now streaming on Netflix. Learn THR’s tackle the finale cameo and the way it might arrange a derivative.