June 6, 2025: The intense world of Squid Game may push its characters to their physical and mental limits, but it turns out the same goes for its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk.
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In a recent interview, the mastermind behind Netflix’s global sensation revealed the staggering toll the show has taken on his health. Hwang shared that during the making of Squid Game Season 2, he lost two more teeth, adding to the eight or nine teeth he lost during production of Season 1 due to overwhelming stress.
“I thought it was going to be okay, but this time I had to pull out two more teeth as well,” Hwang said. “I haven’t put them back in yet, so I’m waiting.”
While he expected things to be easier the second time around, the director said the simultaneous production of both Season 2 and Season 3 turned into an even more grueling experience. “We had to shoot and write in one go… for around one year,” he said. “It was very physically demanding.”
Season 2, which ends with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) launching a failed rebellion against the enigmatic Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), sets the stage for what Hwang describes as a much darker and emotionally intense final chapter.
As Squid Game prepares to close with its upcoming third and final season, Hwang hinted at what’s to come: games more terrifying than ever before, designed to explore the “lowest bottom of human beings.”
“In Season 3, I wanted to introduce games that infuse fear in people with sheer height,” he revealed, adding that the final season will challenge not only the characters’ survival skills but also their humanity.
“I wanted to focus on how we can preserve our sense of humanity, even amidst this intense competition in this capitalistic era,” he added. “That’s the final question I want to ask.”
With the series set to conclude, fans can expect not just shocking twists, but also a deep emotional reckoning — both on and off screen.