(Following interview ③) Director Hwang Dong-hyuk of 'Squid Game Season 3' expressed deep gratitude to actor Lee Jung-jae, who played the lead role of Seong Gi-hun throughout the series.
Hwang Dong-hyuk held an interview in a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno, Seoul, on the morning of the 30th. During this meeting, he spoke with domestic reporters about the Netflix original series 'Squid Game Season 3.'
The 'Squid Game' series has remained the most popular series on Netflix since its debut in 2021. The show features individuals participating in a mysterious survival game with a prize of 456 million won, where they risk their lives to become the last winner. From Season 1, it swept the global TV show rankings, enjoying massive popularity not only in Korea but across North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and beyond.
Bolstered by its success, the second season recorded a total viewership of 600 million, maintaining its position as the most popular original series on Netflix. In this Season 3, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who rejoined the game with his own purpose after winning Season 1, loses his closest friend and the story follows participants who survived the brutal games.
'Squid Game Season 3' particularly attracted global viewers' attention as the final chapter of the series. Since its premiere on the 27th, it has continuously ranked first on FlixPatrol, sustaining the box office heat.
At the center of this globally popular series is actor Lee Jung-jae. Hwang Dong-hyuk's gratitude towards him was exceptional. Hwang Dong-hyuk said, 'Seong Gi-hun is a symbolic figure of the 'Squid Game' series. 456, an ordinary person, also symbolizes the weak. In Season 1, he appears endlessly foolish, like a loser, but discovers his conscience and realizes the meaning of the game and his role by the end of the season, completing the journey. The character underwent significant change, and actor Lee Jung-jae passionately portrayed that.'
He added, 'We filmed Season 2 and Season 3 for almost a year, and throughout that time, Lee Jung-jae lived on nothing but vegetables for over a year. As the seasons progressed, he became increasingly thin and looked worn out to the extent of resembling a person suffering from a mental illness, and I respect and appreciate him for enduring such extreme dieting.'
'In Season 1, we had many opportunities to eat and drink together, but during Season 2 and Season 3, due to dieting, he didn't share meals and ate separately in the car.' Hwang Dong-hyuk emphasized, 'The character of Seong Gi-hun was becoming more and more isolated from the world. After the last filming, we shared a drink only once. I am very grateful for his dedication to the work. He seems to be a person I will always remember with gratitude, for both me and the project.'
However, there are reactions emphasizing that Seong Gi-hun's actions lean more towards frustrating and mundane rather than heroic. Hwang Dong-hyuk stated, 'Doesn't the Frontman laugh and ask, 'Was the hero play fun?' I didn't plan to create a hero story where one person saves the world. Gi-hun could never initially be a hero. Because he is not a person with special abilities, the best heroic action he could take is seen in his final choice.'
He emphasized, 'He is a figure determined to save the child in the game even at the cost of everything. That was his most heroic action. Changing the world is not something one or two political leaders can accomplish. I believe it must be the efforts of many ordinary people below that. Since he symbolizes the efforts of those people, I believe he is indeed such a figure.'
In addition, Hwang Dong-hyuk discussed the confrontation between Seong Gi-hun and the Frontman, saying, 'The Frontman, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), was originally a police officer who was dismissed due to bribery charges and began receiving bribes to pay for his wife's medical expenses. He was once a symbolic figure of justice and I thought he would feel a strong sense of shame and cognitive dissonance for entering the dark world and abandoning his humanity. I believe he felt a certain sense of inferiority watching Gi-hun since Season 1. He wanted to corrupt Gi-hun at all costs and make him make choices like his own, to bring him to his knees. He likely wanted to manipulate the game to force Gi-hun to make the same deadly choices by giving him a knife.'
'At the same time, I think he harbored a desire for Gi-hun to overcome his test deep down. I wonder if there was even a spark of that conflict. When Gi-hun made the choice to save the child, I believe there could be a respect for him as he looks down at Gi-hun's body. The choice to save the child and pass down Gi-hun's belongings and legacy to his daughter, as well as to blow up the game arena, signifies that Gi-hun has won, and it indicates his acknowledgment of his own defeat.'
The fact that only villain-like characters remained, except for Seong Gi-hun, was also intentional. Hwang Dong-hyuk explained, 'As the end approaches, it becomes a little darker, and as the saying goes, the deeper the night, the brighter a small spark looks. I wanted to give a feel of an absolutely hopeless hell. All the characters were dark, devoid of humanity. I aimed to highlight Seong Gi-hun as a small light rising in that darkness.'
(To be continued in interview ⑤.)
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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