Netflix’s most-watched series ever, South Korean death-match drama Squid Game, unveiled new and returning cast for its wildly anticipated Season 2 over the weekend, according to the report by The Hollywood Reporter.
The surviving stars of Season 1 — Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-Hun, Wi Ha-jun and Gong Yoo — will all be back for more, Netflix revealed at its Tudum fan event in Brazil on Saturday.
Steven Spielberg calls 'Squid Game' cast 'unknown people
Announced newcomers include four male stars: Im Siwan (formerly of K-pop group ZE:A and known for film roles like The Attorney and Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha Neul (from K-dramas like Midnight Runners, When the Camellia Blooms), Park Sung Hoon (Netflix’s Korean hit The Glory), and Yang Dong Geun (from Disney+’s popular K-drama Connect).
In the wake of the announcement, some fans took to social media to ask why no female cast members had been unveiled — especially after the breakout popularity of model-turned-actress HoYeon Jung from Season 1.
Season 2 of Squid Game isn’t expected to premiere until sometime in 2024. Like the globally beloved first season, the next batch of episodes will be written and directed by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, who won an Emmy for his work on the show last year.
Squid Game debuted on Netflix on September 17, 2021. Almost instantly it became a global phenomenon, racking up 1.65 billion viewing hours in 28 days, and eventually reaching 111 million Netflix accounts. It remains the streamer’s most-watched series ever. It was subsequently showered with Emmys love in 2022, scoring 14 nominations and six wins, including the best actor trophy for Lee Jung-jae, the first Asian actor ever to win in the category.
While fans will have to wait another year for more of the Squid Game story, Netflix revealed in Brazil that the reality show spinoff Squid Game: The Challenge will premiere in November.
