Squid Game director shares mixed feelings about smash-hit Netflix show ending

At the premiere of Squid Game season three this week, director Hwang Dong-hyuk shared his mixed feelings about his smash-hit Netflix show coming to an end.

The launch of the Korean series in London on Thursday (12 June) welcomed the director and castmembers including Lee Jung-jae, Park Gyu-young and Lee Byung-hun.

Netflix's gruesome drama, which first launched in 2021, follows hundreds of cash-strapped individuals as they compete in deadly games for a life-changing sum of money, and their own survival.

It is back for a third and final season on 27 June, and Hwang told the audience at the premiere that he is feeling a mixture of "happiness", "relief" and "sadness".

"I've devoted six years of my life into this show, and to think that it's all done and over, I do also feel quite sad," Hwang shared.

In the teaser released at the end of May, Seong Gi-hun (Lee), or Player 456, is brought back into the dormitory in a giant black gift box, after his failed rebellion at the end of season two which led to the death of his friend Jung Bae (Lee Seo Hwan).

At the premiere, Lee shared his experience of returning to the show's iconic dormitory set, saying it "brought back such intense memories". He said he knew it was only a matter of time until the immaculate set would be covered in blood again.

In constrast, the new cast members were full of excitement to be on the famous set. "They were in awe, they were saying, 'Oh my God, we're at the Squid Game dormitory set,'" he recalled. "I couldn't bear to tell them what was going to happen."

The lead actor also gave a glimpse on what we can expect from his character this season.

"The most intriguing point that you want to look out for as you enter season three is, from that rock bottom that Gi-hun hit after season two, where is he headed to next?" Lee said. "Is he going to return to the old Gi-hun who use to have a good heart and wants to help others, or is he going to cross over to the dark side?"

As teased in the recent trailer, the season's first episode introduces a new game, as the remaining players stand in front of a massive gumball machine that separates them based on the colour of the balls dispensed.

The show's creator admitted that it was hard to come up with a new set of games for seasons two and three, revealing he "used all the games" in season one.

Hwang did share during the Q&A that the final game of season three will be one never seen before that he thought would be the "best fit" for the final of Squid Game.

Park, who plays Kang No-eul, offered insight into what being an iconic pink guard feels like. She admitted that while the costume looks impressive on screen, it is far more uncomfortable in real life, especially due to the heat and how difficult it is to breathe in it.

"I was very honoured to be able to portray this character, to show the backstories of a pink guard and the emotional landscape that they hold, it was very meaningful that we got a peek from the other side of the system," the actor shared. "I thought of my character Kang No-eul as just one person who's lost something that's so important to her, which is her baby. So when a person loses something that's so important to them and they want to reclaim it and have it back, they become very strong and very resilient. This is how I wanted to approach her."

Squid Game season two broke records when it was watched 68 million times in the first four days after it launched on Netflix on Boxing Day. Its viewership in premiere week beat Jenna Ortega thriller Wednesday's 50.1 million views when it was released in 2022.

All eyes will now be set on the final season, released in just a few weeks.

The Independent