(Following Interview①) Director Hwang Dong-hyuk of "Squid Game Season 3" acknowledged the starkly divided opinions surrounding the work.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk conducted an interview at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 30th. At this meeting, he talked with domestic reporters about the Netflix original series "Squid Game Season 3."
The "Squid Game" series has maintained its position as the most popular series on Netflix since its first premiere in 2021. The work depicts the story of people participating in a mysterious survival game with a prize of 45.6 billion won, risking their lives to become the final winner. Since Season 1, it has swept global TV show rankings, enjoying a global phenomenon not only in Korea but also across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.
Thanks to this success, Season 2 recorded a total view count of 600 million and continues to hold the title of the most popular original series on Netflix. In this Season 3, it covers the final fate of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who lost his best friend in the game after re-participating with his own objectives following his victory in Season 1, and the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who had been hiding in the game while concealing his identity, as well as the remaining participants who survived the brutal game.
In particular, "Squid Game Season 3" has drawn the interest of global viewers as the final chapter that decorates the series' finale. Since its debut on the 27th, it has consistently ranked first on FlixPatrol, maintaining its box office success.
However, this success has been both beneficial and detrimental to the work. Notably, despite its popularity, opinions have been sharply divided. In response, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said, "The overseas promotion schedule was too 'tight.' I was not feeling well. The time difference kept changing, and while going to the hospital for treatment, I couldn't keep track of the reactions. There must be a lot of stories, but seeing that, one cannot rest. I only heard some reactions from those around me; it seems there are both those who like it and those who express dissatisfaction. I can understand to some extent."
He added, "During Season 1, I had no expectations, so there was shock and freshness. It might have been satisfying to those who expected interesting games and a social message, but in Seasons 2 and 3, everyone had different expectations. Game fans want more games, those looking for philosophical messages want that, and those who like characters want character stories. The expectations vary, so there seems to be a difference between those who felt fulfilled by the shock and expectations and those who felt betrayed," he chuckled.
Regarding the significant gap between critics and audience reactions, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk reflected, "It seems there were very high expectations. Everyone seemed to have a significant hope for 'how this series should end.' There seemed to be tremendous wishes, but everyone dies in this series, and it might have been in unexpected ways or too quickly. That sense of betrayal may have been substantial. It feels like critics express their opinions more harshly and explicitly than general audiences."
(Continues in Interview③.)
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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