‘Squid Game’Director Hwang Dong-hyuk Photos & Interview - Netflix Tudum

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    ‘Squid Game’ Director Hwang Dong-hyuk Goes Behind the Scenes in New Photos

    “It was an utter surprise to see the show get nominated in so many categories.”

    By Phillipe Thao
    Aug. 12, 2022

Some creatives get their best ideas after dark. Squid Game creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk was already up past midnight writing the Season 2 script when the news came in: His Korean thriller series — which became the most-streamed show on Netflix — was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards

“It was all the more joyful because this happened while I was preparing for the next season after closing one chapter,” Hwang tells Tudum. “It was an utter surprise to see the show got nominated in so many categories. I was, of course, happy about myself and the series itself being nominated, but what was the most exciting was that many staff members who worked so hard on the show were nominated together.” The series not only received acting nods but also nominations for visual effects, stunt performance, cinematography and more. These never-before-seen photos from the set show just how much work went into capturing Squid Game’s intensity. 

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“I had my intentions when creating the characters and scenes, but the audience went above and beyond my expectations,” director Hwang Dong-hyuk tells Tudum. “[They] showed even greater love for the characters than expected.”
“When there were only three characters left at the end, I could not help but to empathize with each of them ever more deeply,” Hwang shares. 
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun beat the dalgona candy challenge, and now he’s ready to take on Emmy season with his nomination as Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
“Ho-Yeon (Sae-byeok) managed to overcome all the pressure and anxiety in the end and pulled off an amazing performance, which makes me feel rewarded,” Hwang tells Tudum.
“I am truly happy for Lee You-mi (Ji-yeong) for becoming a nominee for Outstanding Guest Actress,” Hwang says of the actor’s Emmy nod.
Sang-Woo (Park Hae Soo) was at the top of his university class and a successful businessman, but can he rise up in the games?
Everyone’s favorite gganbu Oh Il-nam (O Young-su) and Gi-hun (Lee) prepare to film one of the series’ most heartbreaking scenes.
All the players assemble in between takes with Lee looking on cheerfully. 
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun beat the dalgona candy challenge, and now he’s ready to take on Emmy season with his nomination as Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
From childhood friends to rivals, Gi-hun (Lee) and Sang-Woo (Park) finally meet their match.
Not even a candlelit dinner can put a smile on Gi-hun (Lee)’s face.
It’s all blood, sweat and tears for Sang-Woo (Park) in Squid Game’s final face-off.
This isn’t the friendly tug-of-war game these players are used to. 

Since its premiere last fall, Squid Game has made history with all of its award wins, and the series shows no sign of stopping just yet. As the first non-English-language drama ever nominated for the Television Academy’s most prestigious honor, Hwang still finds the achievement hard to believe. “Squid Game is considered something like a pioneer that is opening up a new era, not just for itself but also as a representative face of Korean content, Asian content or even non-English-language content in general,” he says. “Which is a tremendous honor but is overwhelming, too. I feel the weight on my shoulders from all the expectations given to my next work from people around the world.”

As Hwang develops Season 2, he’s looking back on the emotional process of bringing the first season to screen. “Looking at the reaction from the viewers around the world to Season 1, I learned slightly more about what characters or scenes they liked and what kinds of feelings conveyed on screen touched their hearts.” 

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    Three solemn people in black coats holding flower arrangements stand in a cemetery, surrounded by gravestones and green trees, attending a funeral on a cloudy day.

Because — spoiler alert — it wasn’t easy for viewers to watch fan favorites like Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) meet their demise, and it was just as difficult for Hwang to kill off his own characters, too. After all, he spent a decade bringing their stories to life. “When there were only three characters left at the end, I could not help but to empathize with each of them ever more deeply,” he adds. “I felt especially attached to Sae-byeok’s death, and I wanted to deliver this sense of loss that I felt really well to the viewers.” Even though he spent years carefully fine-tuning his script, her death moved Hwang so much that he added unplanned cuts of Sae-byeok’s coffin burning in fire.  

With all of its success and accolades, it’s difficult to begin imagining the pressure Hwang currently feels as he’s writing Season 2 — on top of another awards season. He’s already teased the return of a few characters and some new additions, but for the most part, the director is trusting in himself first to deliver an even bigger season. “I keep telling myself that I should focus on creating a story that I trust, love and care [about],” he says. “And I should carry on with what I think is right, not what would please others.”

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