Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk may have been wowed during his visit to the Squid Game: The Challenge set, but he also made a secret cameo in the show itself.
Daisy Lilley, director of unscripted series at Netflix in the UK, revealed that Dong-Hyuk donned the iconic red uniform of a guard and was on-screen putting on a mask.
Lilley disclosed this easter egg during a session at the Edinburgh TV Festival, where Netflix and the producers of Squid Game: The Challenge, Studio Lambert and The Garden, reflected on the show’s BAFTA-winning success.
Recalling Dong-Hyuk’s visit to the set, Lilley said: “I was with him as he walked into the marble set, and the look of wonder on his face was priceless. He was so pleased that it had been built. He was picking things up and saying, ‘I can’t believe you managed to find this.’ It was great to have his blessing.”
Lilley declined to comment on plans for Season 2 of Squid Game: The Challenge, but she did confirm that filming will begin early next year. “If I was to tell you anything more, I’d have to squib you,” she joked, referencing the black ink used on the show to simulate the death of contestants.
Elsewhere during the session, John Hay, CEO of The Garden, reflected on the challenges of filming the ‘Red Light, Green Light’ game last year, during which several contestants required medical attention due to freezing conditions at the UK’s Cardington Studios.
“It was a cold day and a big, complicated shoot, which took a long time because we had to be absolutely meticulous — with that amount of money on the line and the kind of stakes involved — so we had to make sure every decision was correct,” Hay said. “We prepared the contestants, equipped them, and I’m confident we did everything possible from a welfare and health and safety standpoint.”
Lilley added that Netflix has taken “learnings” from Season 1, which will be applied to next year’s shoot. “We will look to implement them across the board,” she said.
By Andrej Kovacevic
Updated on 22nd August 2024