10 Things You Didn't Know About Squid Game
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Dive into the hidden details and behind-the-scenes secrets of the global phenomenon! From artistic inspirations to character origins, we're uncovering fascinating facts about the hit series that took the world by storm. Prepare to see the games in a whole new light! Our countdown includes the doll's real-life inspiration, Lee Jung-jae's casting against type, the show's artistic influences, and more! Did you catch any of these details while watching? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Squid Game
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten missable details in “Squid Game” and fun behind the scenes tidbits about the making of the show. We will be discussing major plot points, so a spoiler warning is in effect!
The Doll Was Inspired By a Korean School Character
Like most things in “Squid Game,” the doll seen in Red Light, Green Light was inspired by a childhood artifact. The reference was likely lost on international viewers, but the doll strongly resembles Young-hee, a girl who appeared on Korean school textbooks in the 1970s and ‘80s. In fact, Netflix officially confirmed in a Twitter post that the doll’s name is Young-hee, further establishing the connection. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was born in 1971, so he would have certainly seen little Young-hee on the covers of his ‘80s textbooks. What a wonderful piece of nostalgia that has been warped into depravity!
Lee Jung-jae Was Cast Against Type
This actor received international renown after starring as Seong Gi-hun, but he was an established star in Korea well before “Squid Game.” Lee has been nominated for six Baeksang Arts Awards, the Korean equivalent of the Oscars, and has starred in a wide variety of genres. His charming screen presence is exactly why Hwang cast him in the lead role. But not for the reasons you may think. Hwang wished to cast Lee against type, saying he wanted to “destroy his charismatic image portrayed in his previous roles.” It worked. Lee won a slew of awards for his performance, including the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama.
The Visuals Were Inspired by Art
The story and themes of “Squid Game” received most of the attention, but it is also a terrifically-shot piece of television, even winning the Emmy for Outstanding Production Design. Chae Kyoung-sun was greatly influenced by art and used existing material to help shape the fictional world of “Squid Game.” The confusing staircase was inspired by the works of M.C. Escher, most specifically his 1953 print “Relativity.” The climactic dinner seen in the eighth episode is almost a verbatim copy of Judy Chicago’s installation “The Dinner Party.” And finally, the recurring sky visuals were inspired by the design seen in René Magritte’s “The Empire of Light” paintings.
The Most Watched Show for a Day
While writing the show, Hwang Dong-hyuk had one goal - for “Squid Game” to be the most-watched show on Netflix for one day. He had a point to make about capitalism and inequality, and he wanted that point to reach as many people as possible. However, he had no delusions about his success - he knew that a Korean show probably wouldn’t reach a large international audience, especially one as dark and weird as this. So, he aimed for the humble goal - #1 show on the US charts for one day. Well, he certainly got that. And then some. “Squid Game” became Netflix’s most-watched series ever, breaking the record set by “Bridgerton” and even beating season four of “Stranger Things.”
It Was Originally Designed as a Movie
Despite its unbelievable success, “Squid Game” was never meant to be a show. In 2008, Hwang was a struggling artist battling debt and poverty, and he spent a lot of his time in cafes reading survival manga. He was inspired by these stories and wrote his own movie - “Squid Game.” However, no one was interested in the script and he struggled to find backing, so he shelved the idea and moved on. It wasn’t until 2018 that he pitched “Squid Game” to Netflix, who were looking for more international productions. They loved the idea but wanted a show rather than a film, so Hwang spent the next several months revising the script and expanding it into a nine-episode series.
The Detective Subplot Was Not Part of the Original Script
Hwang originally had one clear and targeted story - the Squid Games themselves and the personal journey of Seong Gi-hun. But when the idea was picked up by Netflix and expanded into a series, he needed some new material to help fill the time. That’s when he invented the character of Hwang Jun-ho, the police detective who infiltrates the games in search of his missing brother. This not only added an element of mystery to the series, but it greatly helped with world building, allowing us access into the production and inner workings of the games. Now that it’s here, we couldn’t imagine the story without the Jun-ho subplot.
It Was Almost Called “Round Six”
Did you know what the Squid game was before this show? Exactly. Squid is a popular children’s game in South Korea, but it’s virtually unknown outside of the country. As such, Netflix didn’t like the name “Squid Game,” believing that it wouldn’t translate to international audiences. They liked the title “Round Six,” as Squid is the sixth game in the series. However, Hwang was insistent that it be called “Squid Game,” arguing that even if audiences didn’t know what it meant, they would still be drawn to the mystery. Netflix eventually capitulated, and good thing - who knows how many people were lured in by the cryptic title.
The Main Characters Are Based on Hwang Dong-hyuk
Like many writers, Hwang wrote from experience and crafted the main characters from his own personality traits. He wrote the characters Gi-hun and Sang-woo to represent his two conflicting histories, calling them his “inner clones.” Hwang told CNN that Gi-hun is modeled after his childhood, being “raised by a single mother in a financially troubled environment.” Sang-woo is what he grew into as an adult, attending university and facing equal amounts of pressure and praise from his poverty-stricken neighborhood. Luckily, Hwang didn’t become an investment banker who stole money from his clients. So, you know, that’s one big difference…
The Games Are Painted on the Walls
Byeong-gi secretly works for the corrupt guards harvesting human organs in exchange for information about the upcoming games. It ends up costing him his life. And to think, all he had to do was look at the walls! Yep, all of the games are painted on the walls of the main dorm room. This becomes quite obvious once the beds are removed, but the detail is never directly addressed and they were there from the very beginning. We can only speculate why - maybe it’s just decoration, or maybe it’s a hidden detail for observant players to spot, like a sick “Taskmaster” clue.
All of the Major Deaths Are Foreshadowed
Perhaps the most genius detail of the show is that all of the major deaths are foreshadowed. Most of them come in episode two, after the players have returned to the mainland. Ali steals money from his boss, mirroring his marbles being stolen by Sang-woo. Sae-byeok threatens to slash a man’s throat, and her throat is later slashed by Sang-woo. As for Sang-woo, he tries taking his own life, which he successfully does at the end of Squid. Deok-su jumps off a bridge, foreshadowing his fatal fall during the stepping stones. And his killer, Mi-nyeo, even makes reference to feeling “powerful” when she “laid back” in tug-of-war, symbolizing how she drags Deok-su to his death. Now that’s just good writing right there.
Were you aware of this information? Let us know in the comments below!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ten missable details in “Squid Game” and fun behind the scenes tidbits about the making of the show. We will be discussing major plot points, so a spoiler warning is in effect!
The Doll Was Inspired By a Korean School Character
Like most things in “Squid Game,” the doll seen in Red Light, Green Light was inspired by a childhood artifact. The reference was likely lost on international viewers, but the doll strongly resembles Young-hee, a girl who appeared on Korean school textbooks in the 1970s and ‘80s. In fact, Netflix officially confirmed in a Twitter post that the doll’s name is Young-hee, further establishing the connection. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was born in 1971, so he would have certainly seen little Young-hee on the covers of his ‘80s textbooks. What a wonderful piece of nostalgia that has been warped into depravity!
Lee Jung-jae Was Cast Against Type
This actor received international renown after starring as Seong Gi-hun, but he was an established star in Korea well before “Squid Game.” Lee has been nominated for six Baeksang Arts Awards, the Korean equivalent of the Oscars, and has starred in a wide variety of genres. His charming screen presence is exactly why Hwang cast him in the lead role. But not for the reasons you may think. Hwang wished to cast Lee against type, saying he wanted to “destroy his charismatic image portrayed in his previous roles.” It worked. Lee won a slew of awards for his performance, including the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama.
The Visuals Were Inspired by Art
The story and themes of “Squid Game” received most of the attention, but it is also a terrifically-shot piece of television, even winning the Emmy for Outstanding Production Design. Chae Kyoung-sun was greatly influenced by art and used existing material to help shape the fictional world of “Squid Game.” The confusing staircase was inspired by the works of M.C. Escher, most specifically his 1953 print “Relativity.” The climactic dinner seen in the eighth episode is almost a verbatim copy of Judy Chicago’s installation “The Dinner Party.” And finally, the recurring sky visuals were inspired by the design seen in René Magritte’s “The Empire of Light” paintings.
The Most Watched Show for a Day
While writing the show, Hwang Dong-hyuk had one goal - for “Squid Game” to be the most-watched show on Netflix for one day. He had a point to make about capitalism and inequality, and he wanted that point to reach as many people as possible. However, he had no delusions about his success - he knew that a Korean show probably wouldn’t reach a large international audience, especially one as dark and weird as this. So, he aimed for the humble goal - #1 show on the US charts for one day. Well, he certainly got that. And then some. “Squid Game” became Netflix’s most-watched series ever, breaking the record set by “Bridgerton” and even beating season four of “Stranger Things.”
It Was Originally Designed as a Movie
Despite its unbelievable success, “Squid Game” was never meant to be a show. In 2008, Hwang was a struggling artist battling debt and poverty, and he spent a lot of his time in cafes reading survival manga. He was inspired by these stories and wrote his own movie - “Squid Game.” However, no one was interested in the script and he struggled to find backing, so he shelved the idea and moved on. It wasn’t until 2018 that he pitched “Squid Game” to Netflix, who were looking for more international productions. They loved the idea but wanted a show rather than a film, so Hwang spent the next several months revising the script and expanding it into a nine-episode series.
The Detective Subplot Was Not Part of the Original Script
Hwang originally had one clear and targeted story - the Squid Games themselves and the personal journey of Seong Gi-hun. But when the idea was picked up by Netflix and expanded into a series, he needed some new material to help fill the time. That’s when he invented the character of Hwang Jun-ho, the police detective who infiltrates the games in search of his missing brother. This not only added an element of mystery to the series, but it greatly helped with world building, allowing us access into the production and inner workings of the games. Now that it’s here, we couldn’t imagine the story without the Jun-ho subplot.
It Was Almost Called “Round Six”
Did you know what the Squid game was before this show? Exactly. Squid is a popular children’s game in South Korea, but it’s virtually unknown outside of the country. As such, Netflix didn’t like the name “Squid Game,” believing that it wouldn’t translate to international audiences. They liked the title “Round Six,” as Squid is the sixth game in the series. However, Hwang was insistent that it be called “Squid Game,” arguing that even if audiences didn’t know what it meant, they would still be drawn to the mystery. Netflix eventually capitulated, and good thing - who knows how many people were lured in by the cryptic title.
The Main Characters Are Based on Hwang Dong-hyuk
Like many writers, Hwang wrote from experience and crafted the main characters from his own personality traits. He wrote the characters Gi-hun and Sang-woo to represent his two conflicting histories, calling them his “inner clones.” Hwang told CNN that Gi-hun is modeled after his childhood, being “raised by a single mother in a financially troubled environment.” Sang-woo is what he grew into as an adult, attending university and facing equal amounts of pressure and praise from his poverty-stricken neighborhood. Luckily, Hwang didn’t become an investment banker who stole money from his clients. So, you know, that’s one big difference…
The Games Are Painted on the Walls
Byeong-gi secretly works for the corrupt guards harvesting human organs in exchange for information about the upcoming games. It ends up costing him his life. And to think, all he had to do was look at the walls! Yep, all of the games are painted on the walls of the main dorm room. This becomes quite obvious once the beds are removed, but the detail is never directly addressed and they were there from the very beginning. We can only speculate why - maybe it’s just decoration, or maybe it’s a hidden detail for observant players to spot, like a sick “Taskmaster” clue.
All of the Major Deaths Are Foreshadowed
Perhaps the most genius detail of the show is that all of the major deaths are foreshadowed. Most of them come in episode two, after the players have returned to the mainland. Ali steals money from his boss, mirroring his marbles being stolen by Sang-woo. Sae-byeok threatens to slash a man’s throat, and her throat is later slashed by Sang-woo. As for Sang-woo, he tries taking his own life, which he successfully does at the end of Squid. Deok-su jumps off a bridge, foreshadowing his fatal fall during the stepping stones. And his killer, Mi-nyeo, even makes reference to feeling “powerful” when she “laid back” in tug-of-war, symbolizing how she drags Deok-su to his death. Now that’s just good writing right there.
Were you aware of this information? Let us know in the comments below!
