Squid Game
“Squid game” fever shows no signs of cooling down, surpassing “Lupin” and “Money Heist”
Netflix CEO Ted Sarnados said “Squid game” – the Korean survival drama – could become the most successful original content ever for the global online entertainment giant. .
The survival series “Squid game” not only dominated the global Netflix platform, but also created a worldwide fever, becoming the most discussed topic. From the childhood games of Korean children to the costumes of the characters in the movie, … are addictive with domestic and international audiences.
According to Flixpatrol, the US-based streaming analytics company, “Squid game” took first place in Netflix’s global TV show category. In addition to Korea, the series also topped TV shows in 66 countries including Germany, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Egypt, Turkey,… and Vietnam.
The popularity of “Squid Game” increased further as it became the first Korean series to hit #1 on Netflix in the US. The survival game continues to fascinate audiences in South America and Europe, topping the Netflix charts in these countries. The nine-episode series has topped Netflix’s global TV show list for eight days since its release on September 17.
Ted Sarnados, one of the Netflix CEOs, said the Korean survival drama could become the most successful original content ever for the global online entertainment giant. “Squid game” is definitely going to be our biggest non-English speaking show in the world,” said Ted Sarnados during “Code 2021,” an annual tech conference held in Beverly Hills, California, by the company. American media company Vox Media.
He noted that “Squid Game” is surpassing all of Netflix’s previous non-English hits, including the Spanish crime thriller series “Money Heist” (La Casa de Papel) and French mystery series “Lupin”.
Director Hwang Do Hyuk also did not expect the unexpected success of “Squid game”: “I thought this series would either succeed or fail completely. But I believe in the potential and hope viewers will enjoy the episodes. This is why I decided to work with Netflix and set myself up for a smaller challenge to knock on the door of the global market. But I never expected my work to reach the top positions in many countries around the globe. Hearing all this news, I am still very surprised.”
“Squid Game” is director Hwang Do Hyuk’s debut film, revolving around 456 players who accept to compete in a survival game to win an attractive prize of 45.6 billion won (39 million USD). All players face a life-changing opportunity, realizing that every game puts their lives in jeopardy. The highlight is that each game is familiar with Korean children’s games such as green light, red light, dalgona drawing, tug of war, marble chess, bridge crossing and squid fishing game.
When asked why he chose “Squid game” as the title of the movie, Hwang said it is the most physical game and his personal favorite among many games. childhood: “I think games are a perfect metaphor for our highly competitive society. So “Squid Game” is a perfect name for this series.”
Besides, he also said that the film not only brought him global recognition, but also had a special meaning: “My childhood memories are preserved in the work. The games reflect. my experience as an immature boy and the name of the main character, Ki Hoon (played by Lee Jung Jaae), was taken from one of my best friends. why I decided to use his name, but I did,” Hwang said.
The games in the movie were once loved by Korean children in the 1970s and 1980s. Thus, it not only evoked nostalgia for childhood in many Korean audiences, but also became addictive with global audiences. Besides, the items used in the movie such as aluminum lunch boxes, dalgona candy making kits, Korean street foods, player’s costumes, … quickly “sold out”.
British actor Simon Pegg shared an image of a blue sportswear like the player in the movie, making the audience excited. And Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, introduced himself as the 457th contestant of “Squid game” on Netflix Korea’s official instagram.
“Squid Game” is not only a mere survival movie but also a great metaphor for Korea’s highly competitive society.Surprisingly, Korea is not the only country experiencing a competitive phase. The competition is fierce. Unlike many TV series that give messages of hope and suggest things to do, ‘Squid Game’ offers insight into our harsh reality. this is why many viewers thought it was a very emotional performance,” said culture critic Jung Duk Hyun.
Along with the popularity, “Squid game” also faced many controversies about the duplication of details with many other survival movies, using real phone numbers and bank accounts, causing users trouble. when subjected to countless calls and messages from viewers. In addition, the exhibition area promoting the film in Itaewon, Seoul also had to close soon to ensure compliance with social distancing guidelines.
Despite the ongoing controversy, the worldwide popularity of “Squid game” is getting hotter day by day. Director Hwang Do Hyuk shows his determination to be a real game changer in the Hollywood content industry.
He shared, “After ‘Gangnam Style’, BTS caused K-pop fever and the Oscar-winning movie ‘Parasite’, ‘Squid Game’ is on its way to becoming the most popular show ever. Netflix. I heard that Bloomberg reported that Korean content is becoming a serious threat to Hollywood. I want to work hard and grow as a real competitor of the entertainment business. United States. I am sure that these efforts will lead to another development for the Korean content business.”
