[INTERVIEW] Director shares backstory of global hit, 'Squid Game'

Netflix original "Squid Game" became the first Korean series to top the platform's streaming charts in the U.S. Courtesy of Netflix

The survival thriller targeted the global market from start, says director
By Lee Gyu-lee

Netflix's new Korean original, "Squid Game," has become the newest hallyu sensation all over the world, following director Bong Joon-ho's Oscars-winning film, "Parasite."

Since its release on Sept. 17, "Squid Game" has been dominating the global platform's streaming charts around the world, including in the U.S, the first time for a Korean drama series.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said that the global success of his Netflix series didn't come as a surprise to him, partly because he had the global market in mind from the get-go.

"The most Korean is the most universal. BTS, PSY and director Bong Joon-ho have already proved that," Hwang, also the writer of the series, said in an interview with The Korea Times via video chat, Tuesday.

"Korea's old children's games, which were used in my series, are simple and old, but I saw the potential to make them appealing worldwide."

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the writer and director of the series / Courtesy of Netflix

The survival thriller series revolves around 456 people, including down-and-out Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), playing deadly rounds of children's games to become the ultimate survivor and win 45.6 billion won ($39.4 million).

The popularity has led to a "Squid Game" craze, from social media memes to the online sale of props from the series, such as Dalgona kits, Korean-style lunch boxes and the players' t-shirts.

Hwang, who previously directed drama film, "Silenced," and the period film, "The Fortress," responded to the series becoming a sensation by saying that it feels like a "roller coaster ride."

"The production crew and I would joke about our series starting a Dalgona craze, like how Netflix's 'Kingdom' did with the gat ― a traditional Korean hat ― but I'm astounded that it actually happened," he said.

Adding that he didn't expect such an overwhelming response in this short period, he explained that the simplicity of the games and the subplots of the characters have allowed global audiences to resonate with the series. Those two elements are what make "Squid Game" different from previous similar genre releases, like "Battle Royale" and "The Hunger Games," he noted.

A scene from the survival thriller series, released on Sept. 17. Courtesy of Netflix

"'Squid Game' involves survival games, but it's actually about people… So it doesn't take long for audiences anywhere to understand the rules of the games, which gives more room for them to follow the emotions of the characters who are playing the games," he said.

"Other similar genre series or films follow one hero solving difficult puzzles to become a winner. But this series is a story of losers. There are no winners ― no geniuses ― but rather a person who takes each step forward with the help of others."

The director came up with the plot way back in 2008 and had written the script a year later. But due to its "bizarre" concept, the series took more than a decade to see the light of day, he explained.

"But after about 12 years, the world has changed into a place where such peculiar, violent survival stories are actually welcomed," he said. "People commented on how the series is relevant to real life. Sadly, the world has changed in that direction. The series' games that participants go crazy over align with people's desires to hit the jackpot with things like cryptocurrency, real estate and stocks. So many people have been able to empathize with the story."

A scene from the series / Courtesy of Netflix

Despite the massive success of "Squid Game," the director revealed that the production of the series had been a gamble for him.

"Making the story into the series was still an adventure, just as it was about a decade ago. I knew that it would be all or nothing; either a masterpiece or a quirky flop," he said. "The idea behind this work was very experimental. So I would keep on asking myself if audiences will find it convincing that the characters are risking their lives to play children's games."

The director explained that the entire process, from writing the scripts to filming it, put him through immense stress.

"Each night before filming, I would always think about ways to make the scenes better and revise the scripts. The level of stress that I was under was a full 100 percent, which hit me hard," he said. "I've always considered every work as a challenge, but this piece had a much higher risk, so I put all my effort into making it a good one."

His effort to make the show's concept convincing led him to carefully choose the games that feature in the series.

"I came up with which games to use in the story about 10 years ago. And it was, to begin with, the red light, green light game that makes a big impact with shocking mass deaths," he said.

He explained that he chose the squid game as the last round because it aligns with the irony of the series. "I thought players fighting like warriors using the shapes, which form a ring, would demonstrate the irony of it being a children's game, as well as the players' desperation."

"Squid Game" follows cash-strapped people taking part in deadly, high-stakes rounds of children's games. Courtesy of Netflix

Hwang said that balancing between the fiction and realistic elements in the story to appeal to a wider audience was the difficult part of making the series.

"Such a situation would never happen in real life so it's unrealistic and could possibly only appeal to those who like this specific genre. So I had to find the perfectly even balance between fantastic and real-life elements," he said.

When asked if fans should expect the second season, he explained that he does have a few ideas in his head, but noted that he has no definitive comment on a sequel series as of yet.

"As I led the series alone, writing and directing, it was mentally and physically too much… so I'm concerned whether, if we were to do a season 2, would I be able to do it all myself?" he said. "I've been telling people how we can't make the second season right away. But since so many people love the series, it sort of does feel like I can't say that I won't do it."

Referring to the series' success as both a blessing and a curse, the director concluded, "It's the acknowledgment of a lifetime, yet it is also a label that will follow me around. From now on, anything I do will be compared to 'Squid Game,' which to me is both a burden and an honor."

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