On Gganbu, Ali, and how he lost six teeth during production.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
The internet has been abuzz in recent weeks with reports thatSquid Gamewillreturn for a second season.
What he actually said was, Ithinkthere will indeed be a season 2.
According to a Netflix spokesperson, a second season is in discussions but not confirmed yet.
I have somewhat of a framework for the next season, Hwang tells Vulture.
I expect this trend to only grow with the increasing popularity of streaming services.
In aKoreaTimesinterview, you said you werent surprised your show has become so popular worldwide.
But I never imagined it would become the global sensation it is now.
Its something we havent seen in other films or series of the death-game genre.
The premise is ironic and fascinating.
The story was a screenplay for a film, and my aim for the story was commercial success.
I started considering the global market when I decided to work with Netflix.
IfSquid Gamehad been released a decade ago, how do you think the reception wouldve been different?
As the story explored why they end up coming back, it unveiled their individual backstories.
I ask myself if the modern institution of democracy can really improve our lives.
His voice was perfect for the role.
What were the most difficult parts of filming?
The love its been receiving around the world makes up for the pain of losing my teeth.
Were you concerned some things would be lost in translation?
For instance, back in 2009, the fourth game was not marbles but something else.
That episode,Gganbu,is the most talked-about of the nine episodes.
Could you explain the process that went into creating it?
Intercutting scenes of each pair at a precise time was critical.
On set, I constantly checked to ensure this was properly translated.
Can you talk about directing the actors in that episode?
How do the emotions of the characters betray their effort to suppress their feelings?
What would you do?
Would you let your emotions explode?
In Gganbu, we see a different side ofSeong Gi-hunscharacter.
He feels sympathy and pity for people like Il-nam who are marginalized.
But he, too, is only human.
But Gi-hun is not meant to be such a character.
He is your ordinary neighbor who has no particular abilities to boast nor the herolike willingness to sacrifice himself.
We cannot expect such self-sacrifice of ourselves nor each other.
Through Ali, I wanted to show viewers that migrant workers are just like any of us.
They might even be working more desperately to be recognized and survive in Korea.
Every advanced country in the world today is sustained by the sacrifice and dedication of migrant workers.
In addition, the influx of refugees is a huge social issue in Europe and North America.
I created Ali to point viewers to issues we all need to reflect upon.
How involved were you in the aesthetic choices of the series the costumes, set design, props?
Every part of the set was designed like a maze that was difficult to escape.
We started from that basic idea and made slight changes to the space along the way.
I wanted the contestants to seem like people who are gathered to participate in a school sports day.
We used the color pink to remove signs of hostility and match the colors of the fairy-tale-like set.
What was your approach to the violence and gore?
I didnt show any guts spilled or limbs cut off all over the place.
I dont enjoy watching violent films.
I dont like doing violent depictions either.
I tried to keep violence at a level I felt was absolutely necessary.
Is there any significance to Gi-hun being No.
456 and Il-nam being No.
1?Il-nam is both the organizer and a contestant ofSquid Game.
Naturally, he was the first contestant to sign up for the game.
Its also a symbolic contrast: Gi-hun and Il-nam represent opposite values.
