Streaming giant Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) is set to release the highly anticipated second season of "Squid Game" and the show's director and star are sharing details ahead of the Dec. 26 premiere.
What Happened: Launched in 2021, "Squid Game" is the biggest series in Netflix history and turned into a pop culture phenomenon.
A second season hits the streaming platform on Dec. 26 and will be seven episodes, which is shorter than the nine in the first season.
Returning for the second season is the winner of the game in the first season, Seong Gi-hun (aka Player 456), portrayed on screen by Lee Jung-jae. Director and writer Hwang Dong-Hyuk also returns for the second season.
The second season features new characters and revolves around Gi-hun, who returns to the game three years after the competition to search for the people behind it and shut the game down for good, as reported by Deadline.
Characters competing for the prize this time include a former cryptocurrency influencer who loses a large amount of money for his subscribers and himself. The crypto influencer becomes a fugitive before joining the Squid Game competition, according to the report.
Another one of the 400-plus contestants in the games is a woman who made bad investments following the advice of the same cryptocurrency influencer taking part in the games.
In the interview with Deadline, Director Hwang as he is known said there is "greater scale" to the second season and new games for the contestants.
"The games are one of the biggest changes as well as the characters because, except for Gi-Hun, all of the characters that play the games are new so you're going to be able to see more endearing characters that you end up rooting for," Hwang said.
Hwang said Gi-Hun's revenge factor is a key message in the second season, but humanity's quest for making the world a better place could be a bigger theme.
"Does humanity have what it takes to change the course of the world, and can we truly let go of our greed, our desires in order to create a better world together?"
The director said the series is also somewhat political given the current state of the world being divided.
"There are so many things that divide us today, whether it's race, religion, language, the haves and the have nots, the generational divisions, and recently, with the very important vote that you have this week, we look at the political division, the left against the right, the conservatives against the progressives, Hwang said speaking days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The director was asked about the report that director David Fincher is working on an English-language version of "Squid Game" and said he doesn't know anything official about this, but respects the director's work.
"I like his films so if he does, I'm excited and I'll look forward to it."
Read Also: Netflix Q3 Earnings: Revenue Beats, EPS Tops, Q4 Guidance Projects Subscriber Boost From ‘Squid Game,’ NFL, And Boxing
Why It's Important: The first season of "Squid Game" was watched by hundreds of millions of people on Netflix and helped the company boost its subscribers and host one of the most talked about shows in streaming history.
The first season was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards and earned critical praise.
Following the second season, a third and final season of the hit show will release in 2025. Director Hwang said the second and third seasons were written at the same time and both were produced simultaneously. The third season is currently in the post-production process, the director said.
Expectations are high for Netflix and the second season and the release, which comes around the Christmas holiday, could be a major catalyst for the stock with shares already nearing 52-week highs.
Netflix will also stream two National Football League games on Christmas, the day before the release of "Squid Game" season 2. This gives Netflix one of the biggest weeks in streaming history and could have the company the talk of the town at family get-togethers and holiday celebrations.
NFLX Price Action: Netflix stock closed at $902.17 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $445.73 to $908. Shares are up 93% year-to-date in 2024.
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