By newsfirstusa 
Stepping onto the eager of “Squid Game” season two, Lee Jong-jae felt like he had by no means left.
“Including promotion, I’d been living with Gi-hun for about two years,” said Lee in a recent interview. “I really felt like I was him,” he said in a recent interview.
“Squid Game” follows an underground pageant in Korea that recruits crowd in debt to take part in childlike video games for cash. As soon as the video games start, the contestants notice there are devastating repercussions.
The display was once a world accident when it was once spared in 2021, turning into Netflix’s most-watched line. It additionally gained diverse accolades together with Primetime Emmy Awards for performing for Lee Jung-jae and directing for Hwang Dong-hyuk. Lee’s occupation catapulted, taking him to the Cannes Film Festival and giving him his first English-language position within the “Star Wars” line “The Acolyte” for Disney+.
Lee says when Netflix ordered a 2nd season of “Squid Game,” he questioned the timeline as it took Hwang years to paintings at the first one. “I wondered, ‘How many years will it take him to write season two,’” mentioned Lee. Hwang, in flip, shocked everybody — together with himself — by means of taking simply six months to jot down season two and a 3rd and ultimate season. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to write something that fast again,” he mentioned.
Growing fresh characters and their particular person tales got here simply. The largest, problem, Hwang mentioned, was once deciding what will have to occur with Gi-hun. Lee says when he learn the scripts he idea Hwang “really is a genius.”
It’s uncommon for even a success TV displays in Korea to have multiple season so it was once a bulky swing, even for the fresh solid.
“There’s a Korean phrase, ‘there’s not a sequel that does better than its prequel,’ said actor Yang Dong-geong, whose character debuts in season two. “I’ve been careful because we aren’t really sure what the reaction will be.” The outlook is sure. Season two has already been nominated in the best drama series category on the next Yellowish Globe Awards.
The opportunity to work on a project with worldwide appeal is a dream come true for a performer. Lee Byung-hun, who reprises his villain role from season one, has appeared in big budget English-language films like “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra” with Channing Tatum and Dennis Quaid and “Red 2” with Bruce Willis. It’s “Squid Game” that he credits for taking his career to another level.
“I’ve been an actor for over three decades and … maybe most people outside of Korea have never seen anything that I’ve been in. If anyone through ‘Squid Game’ wishes to see more of me or becomes more curious about my previous works, as an actor, nothing would be more rewarding or bring me greater joy.”
The audition process moved slowly. Jo Yu-ri recalls waiting two months between the first and second-round. When she finally got the part Jo says, “I actually remember crying.” The actors have been requested not to talk publicly about their casting to watch for Netflix to produce a press release. “There were a couple of close friends that popped champagne for me when they found out,” said Yang.
Netflix’s “Squid Game” universe could also be rising. A 2nd season of a reality competition show based on the series has been ordered and an English model is in building. Season 3 of the fresh has additionally finished filming and is in post-production.
Season two is not without controversy. The new episodes feature a transgender character played by Park Sung-hoon. Hwang says he understands why hiring a trans actor would have been ideal, but that the casting is a reflection of how the LGBTQ community and gender identity is viewed in Korea.
“To be honest with you, in Korea, when it comes to the LGBTQ and gender minority community and culture compared to the Western worlds, it’s not as widely socially accepted yet. Unfortunately, a lot of the groups are marginalized and neglected from society, which is heartbreaking,” said Hwang.
“We don’t have a very large pool of actors that allow for authentic casting when it comes to transgender characters. We did our research. We tried to find someone who we thought could be the best fit. However, we weren’t able to.” Hwang additionally went on to mention that Ground’s skill and technique to the nature ended up making him “the perfect fit.”
__
Leslie Ambriz in Los Angeles contributed to this file.