Netflix Gives ‘Squid Game’ the Green Light for Season 2
It’s official, Squid Game will definitely be returning for a second season, as confirmed by Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos himself.
Sarandos was asked whether there would be a Season 2 during the streamer’s fourth-quarter 2021 earnings interview on Thursday. “Absolutely,” he replied, according to Deadline, before adding, “The Squid Game universe has just begun.”
The South Korean survival drama was the breakout television hit of 2021, quickly becoming Netflix’s most-viewed series of all time. Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show centers around a group of people in financial debt who are invited to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a ₩45.6 billion prize.
Sarandos also mentioned opportunities for Squid Game to expand beyond the core streaming service, suggesting live experiences, games, and merchandise. In addition, he referenced other Netflix hits, such as Bridgerton and Stranger Things, in this same category of entertainment franchises that could grow in other markets.
Dong-hyuk had previously talked about a second season of Squid Game and even hinted at a potential third season. Speaking to the Korea Times last month, the director revealed, “I’m in talks with Netflix over season two as well as season three. We will come to a conclusion any time soon.”
The confirmation of a Squid Game sequel comes the same week that Netflix announced a slate of 25 new films and series out of South Korea for 2022. This includes the upcoming zombie high school drama All of Us Are Dead and Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, an adaptation of the hit Spanish series.
Speaking about the success of Squid Game and Korean drama, Sarandos said, “They didn’t try to make the show different so that it would travel, but tried to find all the things about Korean cinema and Korean drama and build them up in a way and new levels of production values.”
He continued: “It’s not like we had to go in and teach anyone in Korea how to make great content. It’s an incredible market for that. There’s always been curiosity around the world, [the] K Drama market has always had pockets of success all over the place, but the ease of delivery that we’ve offered has pushed that into the mainstream.”
Squid Game, Season 1, Streaming, Netflix
