Netflix's Squid Game series is coming back for Season 2, but when it will be released remains a question.
The hit Korean drama lit the world on fire upon its Season 1 release. It quickly became one of the biggest Netflix series of all time and launched a multimedia franchise that includes merchandise, real-world activations, and even a streaming reality show.
When Will Squid Game Season 2 Be Released?
Quickly after Squid Game Season 1 came to Netflix in fall 2021, conversations about a Season 2 began to swirl.
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk started talking about a second season as early as October 2021 (via Variety) but was unsure if it was going to happen.
However, mere months later (in June 2022), Season 2 was officially greenlit by Netflix.
Since then though, no specific release information has made its way out to the public.
Series star Lee Jung Jae told AllKPop in February 2023 that filming for the show was going to take place in "the summer" of that year and is expected to last "10 months:"
"'Squid Game 2' will begin filming in the summer and the filming will likely last for about 10 months. We were working on season 1 for about 10 months as well, but that was with delays caused by COVID-19. But seeing as Season 2 will be bigger in scale, it will probably take longer to complete."
Seeing as Season 1 worked on a similar 10-month production window, one can start to see the Season 2 release plan coming into the picture.
Squid Game Season 1 started filming in June 2020 and was ultimately released in September 2021 (15 months later).
That would mean with Season 2 starting filming in August 2023, fans can expect the series to return sometime around October or November 2024.
Who Will Return in Squid Game Season 2?
Casting information for Squid Game Season 2 is few and far between but there have been some names confirmed to return for the second batch of episodes.
In April 2022, it was confirmed by the series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk that both Lee Jung-jae's central contestant, Seong Gi-hun, and master of the games Front Man (played by Lee Byung-hun) would be back for Season 2 (via Deadline):
“Gi-hun for sure. He will be back and I believe the Front Man will back too.”
Also expected to return are Gung Yoo's Game's Salesman as well as Wi Ha-joon's Hwang Jun-ho, a detective looking into the deadly competition.
As of now, that is everyone from Season 1 confirmed to return for Squid Games' sophomore effort, but seeing as nearly everyone from that first batch of episodes sadly perished at the hands of the show's killer games, those select names make sense.
Hwang also revealed a new set of actors that will appear in the series. Although exact specifics for each character remain shrouded in mystery, fans can expect most (if not all) of them to be new contestants hoping to win the deadly Squid Games.
The full list of new and returning actors can be seen below:
- Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun
- Lee Byung-hun as Front Man
- Gung Yoo as Games Salesman
- Wi Ha-joon as Detective Hwang Jun-ho
- Im Si-wan as Unknown
- Kang Ha-neul as Unknown
- Park Sung-hoon as Unknown
- Yang Dong-geun as Unknown
- Jo Yu-ri as Unknown
- Kang Ae-shim as Unknown
- Lee David as Unknown
- Lee Jin-wook as Unknown
- Choi Seung-hyun as Unknown
- Roh Jae-won as Unknown
- Won Ji-an as Unknown
- Park Gyu-young as Unknown
- Jeon Seok-ho as Unknown
- Kim Si-eun as Unknown
What Will Happen in Squid Game Season 2?
Netflix is still keeping plot details for Squid Game Season 2 close to the vest.
Season 1 ended with Lee Jung-jae's Gi-hun finally making his way through the terrifying Games as the series' heart, proving to be the last contestant alive.
Upon completing the event, he gets his massive sum of prize money but realizes things are only just beginning with yet another round of recruits ready for competition.
So surely, Season 2 will center on Gi-hun's story as he grapples with the idea that this cycle will never end unless he does something personally.
Star Lee Jung-jae told AllKPop, Season 2 will be a story of "revenge," focusing on the brewing battle between Gi-hun and Lee Byung-hun's Front Man (aka one of the men behind the games):
"It's probably safe to assume that. As we all saw at the end of season 1, the main plot of season 2 will be revenge, and the key figure who controlled the workings of the games in season 1 was Lee Byung Hun sunbae, so it seems that the two of us will be the central figures of this next story."
Hi-gun will reportedly be seen "playing in the arena again," according to Lee (per People):
"I have no idea what will happen or the scale of it, but the only thing [Hwang] did tell me was that Seong Gi-hun is going to be in the show again, and he's going to be playing in the arena again."
So Season 2 will likely be a story of the character from Season 1, risking his life yet again, only this time to take down the creators of this deadly competition.
Is Squid Game Season 2 Its Last?
There has been no official word on anything beyond Squid Game Season 2 at this point.
There have been reports saying Netflix may opt to film Seasons 2 and 3 at the same time for the series; however, the streamer denied these rumors, saying "the Squid Game production team is giving their all to prepare for Season 2" with no mention of a Season 3 (via Soompi):
“In order to create a show that will bring the fans joy, the ‘Squid Game’ production team is giving their all to prepare for Season 2.”
On the subject of a potential third season, all Netflix had to say on the subject was, "We are still in the early stages [of planning], the concrete details have not yet been decided."
While not an official confirmation, it seems more than likely Season 3 of Squid Game will end up happening, especially given the uber success the franchise has had so far.
Fans can also expect the series' reality show spin-off Squid Game: The Challenge to return as well.
Season 2 of the reality competition series was greenlit by Netflix mere days before the Season 1 finale, with an expected release expected sometime in 2025 (via Variety).
Squid Game Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix.
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