The first season of "Squid Game" seemingly came out of nowhere in 2021 to become the most-watched series in Netflix history. Although Korean shows have been consistently popular on Netflix, "Squid Game" achieved international success on a whole other level, surpassing the viewership of Netflix hits like "Stranger Things" and "Bridgerton." Obviously, a show that popular warrants another season, even if creator Hwang Dong-hyuk never envisioned the show lasting beyond its initial nine episodes.
With Hwang onboard once again as writer and director, Netflix officially announced the second season of "Squid Game" in June 2022. Nearly two years later, there still haven't been many details revealed about the highly anticipated new season of the series about a deadly competition for a massive cash prize. "Squid Game" fans have had to make do with the reality show "Squid Game: The Challenge," but their wait could soon be over.
As the premiere draws closer, here's everything we know so far about "Squid Game" season 2.
'Squid Game' season 2 release date window
No official release date has been announced for "Squid Game" season 2, but production on the season began in July 2023 and was expected to last around 10 months, which means it should wrap soon. In a January 2024 investor letter, Netflix listed "Squid Game" season 2 as a 2024 release.
With principal photography just finishing up in spring 2024, though, chances are that the season won't be released until later in the year, to allow for an extensive post-production schedule. It's tough to say for sure, but "Squid Game" fans could expect a Christmas present of a second season, which would be more than three years after the premiere of the first season.
'Squid Game' season 2 cast
The cast for "Squid Game" season 2 is set to feature a mix of new and returning characters, as another round of violent versions of children's games gets underway. Breakout star Lee Jung-jae, who's also starring in the new Star Wars series "The Acolyte," is set to return as Seong Gi-hun, the protagonist of the first season and ultimate winner of the deadly competition.
Other cast members set to return include Lee Byung-hun as the sinister leader of the Game, known as the Front Man, and Gong Yoo as the unnamed salesman who finds players to join the Game. Wi Ha-joon will also return as undercover police officer Hwang Jun-ho.
Netflix has also announced an extensive list of new cast members, although info about their characters has not yet been revealed. Here's who will be joining "Squid Game" for its second season.
- Park Gyu-young ("Sweet Home")
- Jo Yu-ri (singer/actor, former member of South Korean-Japanese girl group Iz*One)
- Kang Ae-sim ("Be Melodramatic," "Move to Heaven")
- Lee David ("The Fortress")
- Lee Jin-uk ("Sweet Home," "Miss Granny")
- Choi Seung-hyun (singer/actor, "Tazza: The Hidden Card," "Commitment")
- Roh Jae-won ("Missing Yoon," "Ditto")
- Won Ji-an ("D.P.," "Heartbeat")
- Yim Si-wan (member of South Korean boy band ZE:A)
- Kang Ha-neul
- Park Sung-hoon ("The Glory")
- Yang Dong-geun ("Moving")
'Squid Game' season 2 plot
There has been no official word about the plot of "Squid Game" season 2, although it's safe to assume that the characters will once again be subjected to life-threatening versions of innocuous children's games in pursuit of huge amounts of money to pay off their debts and rise out of poverty. The new cast members may be playing new contestants who are recruited by the salesman to face the diabolical games devised by the Front Man.
The return of Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun and Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho indicates that the two characters with reasons to take down the Game may be teaming up, and their efforts at sabotage may play out alongside the travails of the new contestants. Or they may be drawn back in to play the game themselves, despite their opposition to it.
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, who's set to write and direct every episode, has also referenced the possibility of bringing back characters who died in the first season, so it's possible that season 2 will incorporate flashbacks or surprise twists on the events of the first season. One thing that Hwang won't do is simply rehash the same plot with a new set of characters.
