Netflix shows rarely get a second season, so mercurial is the streamer with its big-budget gambles. So it’s a rare treat to learn that not only is Squid Game’s second season now set to hit screens of all sizes this holiday season, but a third (and final) season will be released in 2025.
The international mega-hit Squid Game was originally released onto Netflix in 2021. The Korean show proved so big it became Netflix’s most popular series ever, knocking Bridgerton into a fancy, feathered hat, despite being subtitled and starring no internationally-known actors. So yes, clearly the streaming service would like some more of that, thank you very much, as would the program’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk.
The nine episodes followed a group of 456 people taking part in a deadly series of playground games for the amusement of super-wealthy onlookers, while simultaneously telling us the backstory of central character, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, who has since gone on to English-language fame via Star Wars: The Acolyte). While its ending was by no means absolute, it arguably came to a very (un)satisfying conclusion (GET ON THE PLANE, MAN!), and perfectly wrapped up its parable of the destructive evils of capitalism. Which leaves that agonizing paradox of wanting more, but really not being sure you’re right to.
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In the three years since, Netflix has created an irony-free real-life version of the game show element, Squid Game: The Challenge, while MrBeast ensured his position as the biggest YouTuber in the world with his own unofficial version. And, sigh, David Fincher is for no understandable reason making a U.S.-based remake. God please let that get stuck in production hell.
Also, in late 2021, Hwang confirmed that despite initial reluctance, he was in the early stages of a second season of Squid Game, cannily negotiating his agreement to do it if Netflix would also let him produce other films in-between. By June 2022, the greenlight for the second season was confirmed. And we now know it’ll air December 26, 2024.
The next run is likely to focus more on the mysterious Front Man and his police officer brother, while digging into the background of the so-called “salesman character.” In 2022 we also learned that Lee Jung-jae would reprise his lead role, alongside Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo and Wi Ha-joon, with the addition of superstar Park Sung-hoon (The Glory, Queen of Tears) among others. Skip forward two rather quiet years, and now we finally have a teaser trailer!
The teaser shows contestants running down a competition-size running track, while observed by familiar Squid Game guards, as players fall to the ground (and knowing this show, are probably dead). Then, right at the end, it reveals there will be a third and final season in 2025.
I’m guessing, but I’d assume these would have to be being made back-to-back, given the enormous lead time on premium shows like these for streaming networks. With a two-year gap now becoming pretty normal between seasons of the most popular shows (The Boys being the most recent to announce this), it seems a safe bet that the expanded writers’ room (Hwang wrote all nine episodes of the first season alone, but said his lack of planning for the story to continue would require a team to achieve more) would have written both seasons in one go. It’d also seem odd to strike sets between filming seasons, given the timeframe.
So, we only need to wait for Christmas to enjoy another round of gruesome capitalistic horror. And then the next day, season two of Squid Game will stream.
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