SAO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – Four years after facing the English-speaking audiovisual industry, “Round 6” –or “Squid Game”– comes to an end this week, somewhat prematurely for such a massive success, but in line with the intentions of its creator, the South Korean Hwang Dong-hyuk.
There were no disjointed attempts to keep “Squid Game” on the air longer than the story demanded, as often happens in TV and streaming production lines. This does not mean, however, that Netflix has let go of what has become one of its biggest “IPs” – intellectual properties, the new and trendy marketing term – this valuable asset nowadays.
In an industry where more and more studios rely on the success of past characters, investing in sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, the streaming giant knows that “Squid Game” is a rare case of overwhelming success, with potential to continue growing even without its seminal characters.
“This series became such a global phenomenon, such a recognized brand, that I think it’s natural for other series to come out of it, not just in Korea. As the creator, I see this positively as long as the spirit and values of ‘Squid Game’ are maintained,” says Dong-hyuk in a video conversation.
I would love for him [Dong-hyuk] to create new stories,” states Lee Jung-jae, winner of the Emmy for best actor for “Squid Game”. “I hope this universe doesn’t just stay in Korea and that it can, perhaps, find a narrative in Latin America, in Europe, and that it continues to live on.
Nothing has been officially announced by Netflix, but rumors about the next steps in this universe continue to surface. The statements from the creator and protagonist also make it clear that there are intentions to keep the vibrant colors of “Squid Game” in focus in the platform’s catalog.
After the reality show “Squid Game: The Challenge,” which puts real people to compete in games inspired by the series – without the part where losers die – plans may include an American version of the game, with involvement from David Fincher, and a series about the first edition of the competition, set in the 1980s. Something along the lines of what happened with “Money Heist,” the Spanish phenomenon on the service.
They’re just rumors, but Dong-hyuk has been expressing in interviews his desire to keep the series alive and to write about the past of supporting characters. It’s also hard to imagine that a story so successful — with 330 million viewers and 2.8 billion hours watched for the first season, making it the most popular original work on the platform — would be gathering dust in the catalog.
This would help explain why the final season came out with impressive speed. There were three years between the first and second batches of episodes, but only six months between the second and third. Fans hardly had time to panic and flood social media with theories about the characters’ fates.
The third and final season begins exactly where the second one ends, with no time skips. After leading a revolt against the game organizers and seeing several of his allies die, Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, embraces his darker side.
He now wants revenge at all costs, even against those who did not join his armed revolution. Meanwhile, those childish games of sadism, in which competitors face each other for a cash prize, resume.
As “Round 6” approaches its end, it stands as a living proof of the worldwide public’s interest in the “K-culture” wave. Dong-hyuk and Jung-jae share the spotlight with other South Korean creators and artists who, over the last two decades, alongside a government investment and “soft power” strategy, have been conquering the world, whether with the Oscar and Palme d’Or for “Parasite” or with the Grammy nominations for BTS.
For the creator of “Squid Game,” the love that many Western viewers showed for the series is a sign that those on the margins of Hollywood and British production can take risks and dream of reaching greater heights – “I like the idea of being remembered as a precedent,” he says.
More important than an industry legacy, however, Dong-Hyuk believes in the power of the messages his storyline leaves behind. Especially in a final season that not only delves into the more human side of its characters in search of an escape from the horrors surrounding them, but is also released amid wars marked by a nearly sadistic violence.
People won’t decide to take care of each other, join hands, stop using fossil fuels, and think about the climate crisis overnight. But maybe there is empathy, awareness, humanity, and hope to guide us,” says the creator and director. “We shouldn’t be thinking about what to do to improve the world — we should simply do something.
ROUND 6 (3rd SEASON)
– Premieres this Friday (27) on Netflix
– Rating 18 years old
– List of Lee Jung-jae, Tom Choi, and Wi Ha-joon
– Produced in South Korea, 2025
– Creation Hwang Dong-hyuk