The Olympics might be lighting up Paris, but the real games are coming this winter. That’s right — Squid Game Season 2 will premiere on 26 December 2024, bringing fans back into the twisted competition at the center of the series.
Netflix also announced that a third and final season would arrive on the streaming service in 2025.
In addition, series creator, director, and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk posted a letter to fans in which he wrote in part, “I am thrilled to see the seed that was planted in creating a new Squid Game grow and bear fruit through the end of this story.”
As previously announced, Lee Jung-jae will return to star alongside fellow returning cast members Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo. New cast members include: Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an.
Read more: ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Showrunner Reveals How ‘Squid Game’ Star Lee Jung-jae Was Cast
The official description for Season 2 states: “Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 remains determined to find the people behind the game and put an end to their vicious sport.”
“Using this fortune to fund his search, Gi-hun starts with the most obvious of places: look for the man in a sharp suit playing ddakji in the subway. But when his efforts finally yield results, the path toward taking down the organization proves to be deadlier than he imagined: to end the game, he needs to re-enter it.”’
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk is thrilled about what’s in store for the fans. “I do have a lot on my shoulders, but I’ll make sure it’s worth the wait,” Hwang told Netflix in 2023.
Squid Game Season 1 introduced fans to the K-drama’s titular deadly game, which forces citizens to gamble with their lives. In return, they may win a world-changing cash prize — or suffer the dire consequences. Down on his luck Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is Squid Game’s protagonist, and Season 2 will pick up after Gi-hun’s jaw-dropping decisions in the Season 1 finale.
Read more: Netflix Shares ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 First Look Trailer
“The cast and the crew are truly pouring their hearts and souls into filming the second season,” executive producer Kim Ji-yeon told Netflix in December. “I hope you stay tuned and root for us!”
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said, “the Squid Game universe has just begun.” In November last year, the streamer debuted the first season of its spin-off reality game series, Squid Game: The Challenge, which similarly saw 456 money-desperate individuals compete in various children’s games based on those featured in the show for a chance to win $4.56m – the biggest jackpot in TV history.
A week later, The Challenge was renewed for a second season.
