The South Korean drama series Squid Game, which is expected to become the biggest hit in Netflix history, was apparently rejected by a local film studio for a decade before being picked up by the company. became.
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk first came up with the idea for Squid Game more than a decade ago, according to the Wall Street Journal. At that time, the film director and screenwriter was living with his mother and grandmother and had to stop writing the script at some point because he was forced to sell a $675 laptop for cash. He said.
A local film studio rejected a pitch for Squid Game, deeming the concept "too baffling" and "too grotesque." However, the show was eventually picked up by Netflix, which thought the drama's class struggles "represented reality."
Donghyuk commented that the impact of the new coronavirus will only exacerbate the gap between the rich and the poor. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said, "The world has changed. All those things make this story a lot more real to people than it was 10 years ago."
Early ratings metrics for the show predict Squid Game to be the biggest hit ever for a Netflix drama series. The series' sudden popularity for U.S. streaming services could be interpreted as evidence that Netflix's recent decision to invest in Korean content was correct. Netflix told the Wall Street Journal that it "invested about $700 million in Korean movies and TV shows between 2015 and 2020."
IGN US gave Squid Game a 9 out of 10 review, calling it "the most exciting series to come to Netflix in recent times." He also praised the show's ability to captivate its audience, calling it "one of the most unique productions we've seen this year."