Netflix original series “Squid Game” tells the story of those who participated in a mysterious survival game with a prize of 45.6 billion won risking their lives to become the final winner. It was released in 2021 and gained worldwide popularity, and at the 74th Emmy Awards held in 2022, Lee Jung-jae won the Best Actor Award and Hwang Dong-hyuk won the Best Director Award, sparking the “Squid Game” craze.
Season 2 will be released in 2024, and with the recent release of teaser videos and still cuts, it is getting ready to meet viewers soon. The cast includes Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Gong Yoo, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Kyu-young, Lee Jin-wook, Yang Dong-geun, Park Sung-hoon, Kang Ae-sim, Lee Da-wit, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an. In the teaser video released, Lee Jung-jae, who dyed his hair red, gets a phone call and the other person says, “You’re going to regret the choice you made.” Lee then hinted at revenge, saying, “I’m going to find you, at all costs.”
Earlier, the public has received a mixed response from expectations and concerns because it has gathered controversies even before the release information was revealed, including the appearance of T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun) in “Squid Game 2.”
First, T.O.P was convicted in 2017 of smoking cannabis. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a two-year suspended prison term, and his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment expired last year. In addition, the rapper hinted at retiring from the entertainment industry, saying he had no intention of doing so to a netizen who said, “Don’t come back.”
Controversy intensified when such T.O.P started his entertainment career with the return of “Squid Game.” There was also a suspicion that there was Lee Jung-jae’s influence on casting as he and T.O.P were close.
Lee Jung-jae’s agency however drew the line, saying, “The casting of the work is the authority of the director and the production company,” adding, “Actor Lee Jung-jae knows more than anyone else that many actors try to get cast in this drama and it is decided through auditions with a lot of interest in ‘Squid Game 2.” Netflix also stressed, “Casting actors for Netflix is decided by creators such as directors, writers, and production companies based on their intentions for the actors. Netflix also respects this.”
As soon as the first filming began even before the controversy over network casting subsided, the controversy over the on-site staff’s power abuse erupted, adding to the drama’s buzz. In July last year, on an online community, a post about the drama went viral.
The writer said he encountered the “Squid Game 2” shooting team at Incheon International Airport on the 10th. He expressed displeasure that a staff member of “Squid Game 2” told him to go back to another place while blocking people who wanted to use the escalator.
In this regard, “Squid Game 2” said, “We heard that citizens experienced inconvenience during the filming of ‘Squid Game 2’ at Incheon International Airport on the 10th,” adding, “We made every effort to provide citizens with detailed information about the situation on the site during the filming process, but we apologize for the inconvenience caused.” The production team then repeatedly expressed its apology, saying, “We sincerely thank the citizens for their understanding of the filming and will continue to be more cautious during the filming process.”
“Squid Game” has gathered high expectations for the second season, and there are also voices of concern over its controversy. Attention is focusing on whether it will be able to enjoy global popularity despite the constant buzz.
Source: Xsports News
