Squid Game Season 2 - Release Window, Cast, Director And More Info
Now that everyone's finally stopped gushing about season 1, the sophomore season of "Squid Game" is (hopefully) almost here. The horror-tinged dystopian thriller about a group of participants tricked into playing deadly versions of childhood games debuted back in 2021 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Originally planned as a limited series, the wild success of "Squid Game" led to its season 2 renewal, and it took some time to pull together a continuation of the story.
Will lightning strike twice for "Squid Game," or is it a premise that's about played out? We won't know until we see more of season 2, but everything we do know indicates that the show will be even more ambitious in its second outing. Season 1 exposed the corruption and greed behind the killer gameplay, but season 2 seems poised to dig deeper into the systems that enable the games as winner Gi-hun continues to be impacted by the choices he made in season 1. Here's everything else we know about "Squid Game" season 2 so far.
When does Squid Game season 2 premiere?
Though Netflix hasn't announced a specific premiere date for "Squid Game" season 2 yet, the streamer recently confirmed that the follow-up season is slated for some time in 2024. In a letter to investors shared by Deadline in January, representatives for the company hyped the streamer's upcoming slate: "Looking ahead, despite last year's strikes pushing back the launch of some titles, we have a big, bold slate for 2024."
The dystopian thriller was mentioned among a list of popular Netflix shows expected to return in 2024, including "The Diplomat" and "Bridgerton." The show's first season aired in September 2021, but a three-year gap between seasons isn't actually a surprise given the fact that series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk originally planned the show as a miniseries. We'll keep you updated when new information about a firm release date arrives, but the fact that promotional images have already been dropping seems like a sign the series will be back sooner rather than later.
What are the plot details of Squid Game season 2?
Plot details about "Squid Game" season 2 are still largely under wraps, but Hwang has previously stated that he's interested in taking a closer look at the police's role in the events of the series. "I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea," Hwang told The Times. He went on: "I see it on the global news that the police force can be very late in acting on things — there are more victims or a situation gets worse because of them not acting fast enough. This was an issue that I wanted to raise."
The show's first season featured a police officer character, Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who was revealed to have gone undercover in the games in order to search for his own brother. The Strait Times reported in 2021 that a potential second season of the series would involve officer Hwang and his brother, the masked gamekeeper who's mostly known as the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun). The outlet also reported that Hwang Dong-hyuk had plans to bring back the salesman from season 1, played by Gong Yoo.
A recent teaser photo confirms the return of Front Man, about whom we know little aside from the fact that he won the deadly competition in 2015 and at some point began working for the people running it. A brief clip in a new Netflix sizzle reel also shows the return of season 1 main character Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), whom we see answering a mysterious phone call telling him he's going to regret his decision. Presumably, the caller means Gi-hun's decision to try to learn more about the games, as season 1 ended with him demanding answers from the person behind the recruitment line phone number.
Who is in the cast of Squid Game season 2?
Emmy-winning star Lee Jung-jae is set to return for "Squid Game" season 2 as loser turned big winner Gi-hun, who won the Squid Game last season when his opponent killed himself. As mentioned, season 1 stars Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun are returning, playing an undercover detective and the brother he was hunting down — who is now the games' overseer, Front Man. Though plenty of characters from the show's first go-round were killed in the titular games, Gong Yoo's mysterious recruiter will also be back for the new season.
Additionally, a ton of new castmates have joined the show, and with an ensemble of this size, it seems likely that the new season will either portray the next edition of the games or revisit past winners. According to Tudum, new castmates include actor and ZE:A band member Yim Si-wan, pop star Jo Yu-ri, rapper Choi Seung-hyun, "Forgotten" actor Kang Ha-neul, "It's Okay To Not Be Okay" actress Park Gyu-young, and "Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum" star Park Sung-hoon. Additionally, the second season will feature Yang Dong-geun ("Yaksha: Ruthless Operations"), Lee David ("Poetry"), Roh Jae-won ("Daily Dose of Sunshine"), Kang Ae-sim ("Bad and Crazy"), Lee Jin-uk ("Sweet Home"), and Won Ji-an ("Heartbeat").
Who is the director, writer, and producer of Squid Game season 2?
Hwang Dong-hyuk, who created "Squid Game" and won an Emmy for his work behind the camera on the season 1 episode "Red Light, Green Light," returned to direct all season 2 episodes, per Tudum. It takes a village to make any show, but Hwang wears an impressive number of hats on the set of "Squid Game" as the series' creator, showrunner, writer, director, and executive producer. The filmmaker also returned as the show's EP and writer in season 2. Unsurprisingly, Hwang needed some time to recuperate after putting all that work into season 1: "I was so tired after finishing season 1, I couldn't really think of season 2," he told IndieWire in 2021.
Before making "Squid Game," Hwang wrote and directed four Korean films, including historical action flick "The Fortress," which counts at least two "Squid Game" actors (Heo Sung-tae, who played gangster Player 101 in the first season, and new cast member Lee David) among its cast. Hwang's other directorial credits include 2007's family drama "My Father," 2011's true crime drama "Silenced," and 2014's fantasy comedy "Miss Granny."