Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has revealed the hit Netflix drama almost had a very different ending, which would have totally changed the show.
As those who have already binged the hit South Korean series will know, the finale sees protagonist Gi-hun conquering the final game and taking the prize money home with him, though he is initially too depressed to spend any of it.
Having discovered the truth about player 001, Gi-hun initially buys himself a flight to LA (oh, and a new ’do, obv) to see his daughter, only to back out of it at the literal last minute, so he can try and explore more about who is behind the games.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Dong-hyuk admitted that he initially “wrestled between two different scenarios for the ending”, before settling on the one that made the final cut.
“There was one, the other alternate ending, where Gi-hun would get on the plane and leave,” he explained. “And then there was of course the one where he would turn back and walk towards the camera.
“We constantly asked ourselves, is it really right for Gi-hun to make the decision to leave and go see his family, to pursue his own happiness? Is that the right way for us to really propose the question or the message that we wanted to convey through the series?”
He continued: “We came to the conclusion that the question that we wanted to propose cannot be done if he left on the plane. The question that we want to answer – why has the world come to what it is now? – can only be answered or can only be proposed if Gi-hun turned back and walked towards the camera.”
“So that’s how we ended up with that ending in the finale.”
Earlier this week, Dong-hyuk finally confirmed long-standing rumours that Squid Game would be getting a second season, and teased what he wants to do with the hit show moving forward.
“Gi-Hun will come back, and he will do something for the world,” he told AP.
The director and writer previously claimed: “One [season two plot] would be the story of the Frontman.
“I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea. I see it on the global news. This was an issue that I wanted to raise. Maybe in season two I can talk about this more.”
Squid Game debuted on Netflix worldwide in September 2021, and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon through mostly word of mouth.
Eventually, the show became the most-watched Netflix show in 94 countries, and was viewed by 142 million households in its first four weeks, surpassing a record previously held by Bridgerton.