'Squid Game' Director Compares Self To BTS: 'This is What No. 1 Feels Like'
"Squid Game" director Hwang Dong-hyuk finally knew what BTS felt when the K-pop group entered Billboard charts.
When it comes to international reach, BTS has become the standard of achievement in all industries - be it music or film. This time, another Korean masterpiece bombarded the world, and its creator could not offer enough words of appreciation.
In a new interview posted on the Korean site Daum, director Hwang reflected on the film's success - which he worked on for 13 years - has been receiving.
"Squid Game" broke the original definition of "Survival Death Game" movies and set a new high standard that would be hard to beat.
"Was it like this when BTS ranked first on the Billboard?" the filmmaker said.
Director Hwang famously worked on the masterpiece for more than a decade when he was still facing financial difficulties. In the early 2000s, things could be hard for someone like director Hwang whose pieces focus on "complex" storylines.
After years of waiting, Netflix came into the picture and helped him share the series he worked on all day and night.
"I felt it was too early to invest, and after 10 years, OTT appeared, and the world became more and more divided between the rich and the poor, and there was a lot of atmosphere to aim for a fortune," he went on.
Despite the considerable risk in the market, he decided to challenge the global market with the help of the streaming giant.
And the risk, which led him to the same spotlight where BTS first stood up, was all worth it.
Will There Be 'Squid Game' Season 2?
As the series poses a significant threat to Netflix's most-watched series, fans still want more from the director.
Despite the success and popularity "Squid Game" currently enjoys, director Hwang dismissed the idea of having season 2 - at least not now.
In an interview with Variety, he revealed that he is not that good when it comes to teamwork. He reportedly changes his tracks and ways whenever it is possible.
The filmmaker added that creating the next part would be long and stressful again.
"Some of that stress is carried over in the way that we are always preparing for the next crisis. In some ways it is a motivator. It helps us ask what more should be done. But such competition also has side-effects," he continued.
However, director Hwang did not ultimately close the doors for a possible "Squid Game" Season 2 to happen. If he starts working on that, he would reportedly need a team to work with him.
