'Squid Game' sequel: No plans for now, writer-director says it's tiring to think about

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Ashley Tan | September 30, 2021, 04:51 PM

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Fans who have finished watching the popular Korean Netflix series "Squid Game" might be anticipating a follow-up to resolve some plot points and questions that were left unanswered.

However, you might be disappointed to know that there is a real possibility that a "Squid Game" sequel might very well not happen.

"Quite tiring just thinking about it"

Hwang Dong-hyuk, the writer-director of the nine-episode show, told Variety in an exclusive interview that making "Squid Game" was a long and stressful process, saying that he is "not great at teamwork".

Although he has had experience writing films like "Miss Granny" and "The Fortress", this was his first time working on a series.

The first two episodes took him six months to write.

Now that "Squid Game" is completed and wildly successful — it is number one on Netflix, and is on track to beat "Bridgerton" as the most-watched Netflix show, according to Techradar — Hwang is looking to take a break.

Hwang shared with Variety that he may return to feature movies before making a "Squid Game" sequel.

He added that he does not have "well-developed" plans for a sequel at the moment, and that "it is quite tiring just thinking about it".

However, if he were to truly make a sequel, he would consider using a writer's room and getting multiple experienced directors.

Denied claims of plagiarism

Despite being praised for its production and set design, some have pointed out similarities between "Squid Game" and 2014 Japanese survival thriller "As The Gods Will".

The latter also features a deadly game which high schoolers are forced to participate in.

Hwang addressed claims of plagiarism during a press conference, reported NME, acknowledging that the 'Red Light Green Light' game in "Squid Game" was similar to that of "As The Gods Will".

However, he said that beyond that, there are not much similarities, adding that he first started working on "Squid Game" in 2008.

"As The Gods Will", on the other hand, was created in the 2010s.

Variety also reported Hwang saying that his original concept for "Squid Game" was as a movie, instead of a series.

He admitted that he took inspiration from Japanese comics and animation, and would spend a lot of time reading comics such as "Battle Royale" and "Liar Game".

According to NME, Hwang said: “It’s not really something that I wanna do, [to claim] ownership of this story. But if I had to say it, I would say I did it first."

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Top photo from Netflix Asia / YouTube