“Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has paid a shocking price for the success of his show, sacrificing not only time but a number of teeth.
In a June 2022 interview with Variety, Hwang first revealed that he’d lost six teeth while working on the first season. But, in a recent conversation with the BBC, he admitted it wasn’t six; it was closer to “eight or nine.” For this reason, he originally swore he’d never return for another season, but the instant success of the first series and the potential for a bigger payday enticed him further.
“Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly, I didn’t make much. So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one, too.” Hwang told BBC.
Hwang previously mentioned that he was paid upfront for “Squid Game” and received no additional compensation for its staggering success. A spokesperson for Netflix assured that the streamer provides “competitive” compensation promised regardless of a show’s performance. Sadly, that payment doesn’t extend to covering the stress-related dental costs Hwang has incurred along the way.
Season 2 is set to debut on December 26th and will revisit Seong Gi-hun, aka Player 456, as he reenters the “Squid Game” arena. Armed with a new understanding of its horrors, he’s now on a mission to save others and, ideally, put an end to the deadly game altogether.
As for Hwang’s anxiety level going into this sophomore run, unfortunately, it is still quite prevalent.
“The stress I feel now is much greater.” Though he joked that he hadn’t lost any more teeth just yet, he grimly concluded that he’d “probably have to pull out a few more very soon.”
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