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Unlike his blockbuster streaming show’s protagonist, Hwang Dong-hyuk isn’t exactly hitting the “Squid Game” jackpot.
Despite becoming a bona fide cultural phenomenon with a record viewership, Netflix’s “Squid Game” hasn’t exactly proven a cash cow for the Korean show’s mastermind. Series’ creator Hwang has revealed that smash-hit survival drama has basically provided him “enough to put food on the table.”
“It’s not like Netflix is paying me a bonus,” the 50-year-old Seoul native told the Guardian. He also pointed out that despite its astronomical success — “Squid Game” recently eclipsed “Bridgeton” to become Netflix’s most-watched show ever — the streaming platform is still paying him the amount stipulated in the original contract.
Hwang joked he will likely never be as “rich” as “Squid Game’s” gambling-addicted protagonist Seong Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-Jae) who— spoiler alert! — ends up winning the deadly decathlon’s $38,460,271.20 prize. However, the auteur admitted he does have enough to get by.
Still, this might seem like pittance considering that that the dystopian thriller has been viewed by 142 million households and upped Netflix’s subscriber figures by 4.4 million. Currently, the show is estimated to be worth approximately $900 million to the streaming service.
Not to mention that making “Squid Game” took a serious toll on Hwang’s body and mind.
“It was physically, mentally and emotionally draining,” lamented the “Silence Director” of the creative process, which was reportedly so stressful that he lost six teeth.
Hwang also told the UK outlet: “I kept having new ideas and revising the episodes as we were filming so the amount of work multiplied.”
“Squid Game” — in which cash-strapped players compete in deadly playground contests for prizes — is reportedly based the series on Hwang’s struggles following the economic crisis that hit South Korea in 2009.
Hwang reportedly sought refuge in Seoul’s comic books like “Battle Royal” and “Liar Game,” which depicted characters “desperate for money and success.”
“If there was a survival game like these in reality, I wondered, would I join it to make money for my family?” he told the Guardian. “I realized that, since I was a filmmaker, I could put my own touch to these kinds of stories so I started on the script.”
Thankfully, the Hwang hasn’t dashed all hope of hitting the “Squid Game” jackpot.
“It’s possible that I have to do season two to become as rich as ‘Squid Game’s’ winner,” he quipped. However, as of yet, it’s unclear if there will indeed be a Season 2 — but even if there is, it probably wouldn’t drop until 2023.
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