Squid Game: Will there be a second series and what is the show about?

Squid Game is the new Netflix series everyone is obsessed with this month, so will there be a season 2 of the record-breaking show? 

The premise of the South Korean thriller is dark - but simple: People shunned by society agree to take part in children’s games. Those who lose a game are killed instantly in a process of elimination that leaves the final participant with a life-changing sum of money. 

Squid Game has quickly become one of the most-watched shows in over 90 countries around the world. But will there be a season 2? And despite the release of No Time To Die and exciting thrillers like Murder Island and The Outlaws, the show is growing in audience day-by-day, prompting the question - why are people so obsessed with it? 

Will there be a second series of Squid Games?

Yes, there will be a second series of Squid Games. In January 2021 Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos revealed plans for developing a 'Squid Game Universe', which will include another series, as well as more mobile games and merchandise.

Squid Game was initially announced in 2019, meaning that production on the show took two years to complete. While this naturally included delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, it means that if there is a season 2, it could arrive on our screens in winter 2023 at the latest. 

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk did confirm, however, that he didn’t have any fleshed-out plans for a second series yet. “I don’t have well developed plans for Squid Game 2. It is quite tiring just thinking about it. But if I were to do it, I would certainly not do it alone. I’d consider using a writers’ room and would want multiple experienced directors,” he told Variety magazine. 

With most of the 459 characters in the show not having made it through the game, it’s likely that the show would require an almost totally new cast too.

But if you can't wait for another season of Squid Game, don't worry, there's plenty more exciting stuff to come before the end of the year. If comedy is your thing, Complaints Welcome on Channel 4 starts this month and stars Munya Chawawa, Jessica Knappett and Tom Allen. While Murder Island has already begun its series on Channel 4 and The Outlaws is set to hit screens very soon.

What is Squid Game about?

Squid Game is a fictional drama series about a group of people who play classic children’s games in order to win 45.6 billion Won. The ones who lose a game or choose to quit, however, are quickly (and violently) killed. 

All of the contestants in the game are strapped for cash due to reasons like unemployment, debt, addiction, embezzlement or defection from North Korea. 

There’s a two-minute-long trailer of the show on YouTube, which gives anyone looking to watch a sneak peek of what’s in store. It comes with a warning though, as there are some depictions of graphic violence in the trailer. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqxAJKy0ii4

What age rating is Squid Game?

Netflix UK has given the show a 15 rating on the site. 

It’s undoubtedly brutal and violent, however, so anyone squeamish should stay well away. 

The British Board of Film Classification, who gave the film its rating, said that the series has “sexual violence references, injury detail, crude humour, sex, suicide, sexual images, violence.”

Does Squid Game have subtitles?

Yes, Squid Game does have subtitles available in English as the film is in Korean. 

English-speaking Korean fans of the show have said that the subtitles are “botched”, however. They say that they have changed the show’s meaning in some ways, with character dialogue reportedly suffering the most. 

“The dialogue was so well written and zero of it was preserved,” Korean speaker Youngmi Mayer said in a Twitter post. 

In a TikTok video, the creator offered some examples of how the show’s dialogue had been mistranslated. At one point, a character attempts to convince people to play the deadly game with her and the subtitles read, “I’m not a genius, but I still got it worked out.” 

Youngmi explains that what the character actually says is, “I am very smart, I just never got a chance to study.” 

This is an important difference, many have pointed out, as it reflects the message behind the show itself as it comments on the huge wealth disparity in the country. 

It’s a theme that the film Parasite, the 2019 Oscar-winning film, also comments on.

Why is Squid Game so popular?

Binge-worthy plot, international accessibility and TikTok fame are just three of the reasons why Squid Game has gone to the top of everyone’s must-watch list this month.

The series is made up of nine episodes, each of them roughly an hour long. But try as you might, we dare you to try and click away from that tempting "next episode" button. Every one of the episodes ends on a cliff hanger or big moment that stops you from doing anything apart from watching the next instalment. And while there are some really gory moments and disturbing scenes, which has made people question whether it's really suitable for some younger viewers, there's never a point where the action reaches off-putting slasher-movie style violence. Instead, it's primarily based around psychological horror and the worst "what-if" situations.

And while the show is in Korean, Netflix has subtitles in 37 languages and dubs in 34 languages. This means that most people around the world, wherever the series is available to stream, can get in on the hype around the show.

Another big part of Squid Game' success is in the set design and animation of the contestants' surroundings. The game takes place in a colourful world of semi-pixelated activity, similar to how a video game might look. It's surreal when viewers compare it to the deliberately grey and damp-looking streets of Seoul, where many of the characters begin their journey.

On top of this, the series has on viral on social media sites like TikTok, where fans have viewed the hashtag #SquidGame more than 22.8 billion times.