To no one’s surprise, Netflix’s mega-hit Squid Game has officially been renewed for a second season – and series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has shared new details on what fans can expect from the show’s return.
Both Netflix executives and Hwang himself already gave the ‘green light’ for the second season of Squid Game earlier this year, but this announcement marks the first official confirmation that new episodes of the record-breaking dystopian drama are on the way.
The streamer revealed the news via social media, posting a string of tweets that included an ominous teaser and a revealing message from Hwang himself. Check it out below:
Red light… RED LIGHT! Squid Game is officially returning for season two! pic.twitter.com/4usO2Zld39June 12, 2022
In the statement, Hwang confirmed that the characters Seong Gi-hun and the Front Man will return in the second season of Squid Game, adding that “the man in the suit with ddakji may also be back.”
However, while the writer-director had teased the three’s involvement in several interviews prior to the show’s renewal, Hwang’s message also contained mention of a new character: Cheol-su.
“You will also be introduced to Young-hee’s boyfriend Cheol-su,” Hwang wrote, in reference to the series’ now-iconic killer robot doll. Young-hee appeared in the first episode of Squid Game – Red Light, Green Light – as a motion-sensing animatron who ordered the death of any contestant caught in motion while under his watchful eye. Young-hee was responsible for 255 fatalities on the show, making Red Light, Green Light the deadliest game out of all nine episodes of Squid Game.
Cheol-su, it turns out, is Young-hee’s male companion – and we hope it’s just as terrifying. Perhaps he’ll even sing his own version of the latter’s mysterious “Red Light, Green Light, 1-2-3” jingle…
Let the games begin (again)
Either way, it’s clear that the second season of Squid Game will feature more of the show’s dangerous puzzles – a fact confirmed by creator Hwang in a recent interview with vanity fair (opens in new tab). “Humanity will be put to the test through these games once again,” Hwang said of the series’ return in May. “I want to ask the question: ‘Is true solidarity between humans possible?’”
As for the story that the new episodes of the Netflix series will tell, the plot most likely to be explored is Gi-hun’s quest for revenge against the games’ mysterious organizers. Hwang’s latest statement adds fuel to that fire, with the relationship between Front Man In-ho and his brother Jun-hon also confirmed to appear in proceedings.
Regardless, it looks like we’ll wait a few years to find out about Gi-hun’s fate. Vanity Fair reports that Hwang “only has about three pages of ideas he plans to turn into a script” for season two at the moment, adding that new episodes likely won’t hit Netflix until late 2023 at the earliest. .
The slow progress comes as a result of the writer’s continued involvement in other projects – Hwang is currently working on a new film, Killing Old People Club, which he says is “another controversial film”.
To make your wait for Squid Game season two easier, check out our Squid Game finale breakdown, which poses big questions about what to expect from the highly anticipated second season of the show.