Stepping onto the set of “Squid Recreation” season two, Lee Jong-jae felt like he had by no means left.

“Together with promotion, I might been dwelling with Gi-hun for about two years,” mentioned Lee in a current interview. “I actually felt like I used to be him,” he mentioned in a current interview.

“Squid Recreation” follows an underground competitors in Korea that recruits individuals in debt to take part in childlike video games for cash. As soon as the video games start, the contestants understand there are lethal penalties.

The present was a worldwide hit when it was launched in 2021, changing into Netflix‘s most-watched sequence. It additionally gained quite a few accolades together with Primetime Emmy Awards for appearing for Lee Jung-jae and directing for Hwang Dong-hyuk. Lee’s profession catapulted, taking him to the Cannes Movie Competition and giving him his first English-language function within the “Star Wars” sequence “The Acolyte” for Disney+.

Lee says when Netflix ordered a second season of “Squid Recreation,” he questioned the timeline as a result of it took Hwang years to work on the primary one. “I puzzled, ‘What number of years will it take him to jot down season two,’” mentioned Lee. Hwang, in flip, shocked everybody — together with himself — by taking simply six months to jot down season two and a 3rd and closing season. “I am undecided I will ever have the ability to write one thing that quick once more,” he mentioned.

Creating new characters and their particular person tales got here simply. The most important, problem, Hwang mentioned, was deciding what ought to occur with Gi-hun. Lee says when he learn the scripts he thought Hwang “actually is a genius.”

It is uncommon for even profitable TV exhibits in Korea to have a couple of season so it was a giant swing, even for the brand new forged.

“There’s a Korean phrase, ‘there’s not a sequel that does higher than its prequel,’ mentioned actor Yang Dong-geong, whose character debuts in season two. “I have been cautious as a result of we aren’t actually certain what the response shall be.” The outlook is optimistic. Season two has already been nominated in one of the best drama sequence class on the upcoming Golden Globe Awards.

The chance to work on a venture with worldwide attraction is a dream come true for a performer. Lee Byung-hun, who reprises his villain function from season one, has appeared in large finances English-language movies like “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra” with Channing Tatum and Dennis Quaid and “Crimson 2” with Bruce Willis. It is “Squid Recreation” that he credit for taking his profession to a different degree.

“I’ve been an actor for over three a long time and … perhaps most individuals exterior of Korea have by no means seen something that I’ve been in. If anybody by ‘Squid Recreation’ needs to see extra of me or turns into extra interested by my earlier works, as an actor, nothing can be extra rewarding or convey me better pleasure.”

The audition course of moved slowly. Jo Yu-ri remembers ready two months between the primary and second-round. When she lastly obtained the half Jo says, “I truly keep in mind crying.” The actors had been requested to not converse publicly about their casting to attend for Netflix to make an announcement. “There have been a few shut pals that popped champagne for me once they discovered,” mentioned Yang.

Netflix’s “Squid Recreation” universe can be rising. A second season of a actuality competitors present based mostly on the sequence has been ordered and an English model is in improvement. Season three of the unique has additionally accomplished filming and is in post-production.

Season two shouldn’t be with out controversy. The brand new episodes function a transgender character performed by Park Sung-hoon. Hwang says he understands why hiring a trans actor would have been ideally suited, however that the casting is a mirrored image of how the LGBTQ group and gender identification is considered in Korea.

“To be trustworthy with you, in Korea, in terms of the LGBTQ and gender minority group and tradition in comparison with the Western worlds, it’s not as extensively socially accepted but. Sadly, a number of the teams are marginalized and uncared for from society, which is heartbreaking,” mentioned Hwang.

“We don’t have a really massive pool of actors that enable for genuine casting in terms of transgender characters. We did our analysis. We tried to seek out somebody who we thought may very well be one of the best match. Nevertheless, we weren’t capable of.” Hwang additionally went on to say that Park’s expertise and strategy to the character ended up making him “the proper match.”

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Leslie Ambriz in Los Angeles contributed to this report.