Netflix confirmed earlier this month that the wildly popular Korean series Squid Game was the streaming service’s biggest show ever… but that didn’t make series creator/writer/director Hwang Dong-hyuk any richer.
The series follows a group made up of debt-ridden people who are forced to compete in deadly games to win a chance at winning a large prize. Bridgerton was the largest Netflix show.
Hwang, 50 years old, wrote and directed all nine episodes on Squid Game. He was asked by The Guardian whether he is now as wealthy as the winning contestant. He laughed off the question and revealed that Netflix has not given him any type of bonus.
Squid Game creator: Netflix confirmed earlier this month that the wildly popular Korean series Squid Game was the streaming service’s biggest show ever… but that didn’t make series creator/writer/director Hwang Dong-hyuk any richer
Biggest show: The series, which follows a group of randomly-selected debt-riddled strangers picked to compete in deadly games for a shot at a massive prize, was watched by a record 111 million subscribers, easily beating Bridgerton as the biggest Netflix show
‘I’m not that rich. But I have enough. I have enough food to eat. And it’s not like Netflix is paying me a bonus. Hwang stated that Netflix paid him according to the original contract.
Leaked documents reveal that the show cost 15.5million pounds ($21.28million) to produce. That’s 1.75 million pounds ($2.4million) per episode.
Netflix estimates that the show has been viewed by more than 142 million people. The show is responsible for 4.4 million new subscribers. The show is also valued at 650 million pounds ($892.2million) to Netflix.
Not that rich: ‘I’m not that rich. But I have enough. I have enough food to eat. And it’s not like Netflix is paying me a bonus. Hwang said that Netflix paid her according to the original contract.
Value: Netflix now estimates that over 142 million subscribers have watched the show, with the show responsible for 4.4 million new subscribers, and the show itself believed to be valued at 650 million pounds ($892.2 million) to Netflix as a whole
Hwang also revealed that directing each episode was so stressful that he lost six teeth during production.
It was emotionally, mentally, and physically draining. Hwang said that she was always coming up with new ideas, revising the episodes and coping with the stress of filming.
He also revealed that the original series was inspired in part by his family’s financial hardship following the 2009 global economic crash.
Stressful: Hwang also revealed that writing and directing every episode was such a stressful ordeal that he even lost six teeth during production
Hwang stated that she was financially stressed after her mother retired from the company she worked for.
He added he was working on a film but failed to get financing, ‘So I couldn’t work for about a year. We had to take out loans – my mother, myself and my grandmother.’
During this time of low, he found comfort in Seoul’s comic shop cafes where he enjoyed classics like Battle Royale and Liar Game.
Financial: ‘I was very financially straitened because my mother retired from the company she was working for,’ Hwang said
“I felt connected to them, the people who were hungry for success and money. Hwang stated that it was a low point of my life.
“If there were a survival game like this in reality, I wondered if I would join it to make some money for my family. He said that he realized that he was a filmmaker and could add his own personal touch to these stories, so he began writing the script.
Squid Game was launched on September 17th. Hwang revealed that the goal was to become the #1 TV show on Netflix for just one day.
Low point: ‘I related to the people in them, who were desperate for money and success. It was a low point of my life,’ Hwang stated.
He said, “But it ended up becoming much more successful, and the most watched show ever on Netflix,”
‘It’s very surprising. It shows that the message I wanted is being heard by the global audience,’ Hwang stated.
Hwang stated that there has been talk of a second series, but he’s not certain if it will happen.
Most watched: ‘But it ended up being much more successful, the most watched show on Netflix ever,’ he said
“Of course there’s talk. That’s inevitable because it’s been such a success. He said, “I am considering it.”
However, even if there is a sequel, it won’t happen anytime soon because he has other projects he wants to work on.
‘I have a very high-level picture in my mind, but I’m not going to work on it straight away. There’s a film I really want to make. I’m thinking about which to do first. I’m going to talk to Netflix,’ he said.
Sequel talk: ‘Of course there is talk. That’s inevitable because it’s been such a success. He said, “I am considering it.”
Other things: Still… even if a sequel does happen, it won’t be coming anytime soon, since he has other things he wants to work on