‘Parasite’ Director Gave ‘Squid Game’ Creator Advice on How to ‘Heal’ After Global Success
A director and creator only dream of their work becoming a major success and loved by global audiences. Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk never expected his first K-drama to become the most successful in history, earning multiple awards and groundbreaking Emmy nominations. Now working on Squid Game Season 2, he reveals the advice Parasite director Bong Joon-ho gave him about decompressing after fame.
Hwang Dong-hyuk feels the pressure of continuing the K-drama success
Squid Game was a work 10 years in the making, with Hwang receiving many “no” answers, dislike for the brutality of the storyline, and financial trouble. After the K-drama became Netflix’s biggest money maker and most resonating drama, a second season was overly encouraged.
While not having had initial plans for a second season, Hwang obliged. Fans know that the creator made his career in movies, and Squid Game was his first ever series. It led to many sleepless nights and, stress, even teeth loss. Now working on Squid Game Season 2, he still feels the pressure, even more so after the Emmy nominations.
In an interview with Golderby, Hwang reveals, “I’ve been losing quite a lot of sleep. It is quite daunting to be honest, especially because I killed off most of the beloved characters from season 1.” But he is trying his best to develop a worthwhile storyline that fits his vision, not fan theories or expectations.
The Squid Game creator and director reveals the advice his fellow director Bong Joon-ho gave him after he received global fame with Parasite.
‘Parasite’ directors told Hwang that working on new projects will help after ‘Squid Game’ success
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang explores his feelings after being nominated for multiple history-making Emmy awards. Squid Game is the first non-English series nominated for major categories, alongside the cast.
“This long journey that Squid Game has been on is like a dream,” said Hwang. “I am nominated for both writing and directing. For me, this is more dramatic than [protagonist] Gi-hun winning the Squid Game. It’s like a miracle.” But with fame also comes expectations from the masses.
Hwang recently caught up with Parasite director Bong. Parasite was the first Korean movie to ever win the Oscar for Best Picture, opening the door for Korean content on a global scale. In the meet-up, Bong told Hwang how draining it was to do Oscar campaigning. To top it off, Bong was sick.
But the Parasite director told Hwang how to heal after success. “Director Bong was preparing for his next project, and he told me that working on his script and getting away from the Oscars campaign was how he healed himself. He told me, ‘You’re going to get healing by preparing for the next [project],'” said Hwang.
Hwang is currently working on a new feature movie
The Squid Game creator seemed to take the Parasite director’s advice to heart. In April of 2022, Variety announced Hwang was working on a new feature movie in the same realm of the K-drama but with an even darker story. The movie is Killing Old People Club, inspired by a novel penned by Umberto Eco. He has developed a 25-page treatment for the movie and explains it will be “another controversial film.”
For now, the movie has a tentative title under K.O. Club. Hwang told The Hollywood Reporter he has been the busiest he has ever been between Squid Game Season 2 and the movie.
“I had to work on my next project and also have meetings with lawyers, managers, agents and studios. I also am working on a feature film, and I have a deadline to finish writing season two of Squid Game by the end of this year or early next year. So for the past nine months, I really didn’t have any time to spare. This is pretty much the busiest I’ve ever been in my life, and I think I’ll be busy for quite some time going forward,” said Hwang.
With Hwang’s accolades and fame from his previous works and the K-drama, fans can expect even greater things from Hwang.
