Never Give Up! Squid Game Director Reveals He Suffered 10-Year Constant Rejection Before Huge Success, Making Netflix History
The new series “Squid Game” which made its debut Sept. 17, is on the track to becoming Netflix’s most popular show. Although the the Korean survival drama is on pace to surpass Netflix’s current record holders—“Bridgerton” and “Lupin,” Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk is sharing that the show’s success didn’t come easy at all.
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Hwang talked about long and stressful process of trying to get the show picked up. He wrote the show in 2009 but was rejected by studios for 10 years. According to the WSJ, studios initially thought the concept was “too grotesque and too unrealistic.” He once had to stop writing the script + sell his $675 laptop due to money struggles. However, Netflix took an interest in Hwang’s project in 2019, and in that same year, the project was given the green light. While speaking to The Korea Times he said: ‘the world has changed into a place where such peculiar, violent survival stories are actually welcomed.’
Today, it’s #1 in 90 countries and is set to become the most-watched show in Netflix history.”
Despite the show’s success, no second season has been officially ordered. As reported by Vulture: “Nothing firm has been decided about a second season of ‘Squid Game,’ but Bajaria sounds upbeat about the prospect and suggests that it would depend on [creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s] schedule and his desires for how to proceed. ‘He has a film and other things he’s working on,’ she says, noting the creator likes to collaborate with ‘other writers’ who might come onboard for a new chapter. ‘We’re trying to figure out the right structure for him.’”
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